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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000567 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
PLEASE PASS TO SPECIAL ENVOY GEORGE MITCHELL'S PARTY FROM 
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES CHRISTOPHER MURRAY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2019 
TAGS: OVIP MITCHELL AMGT PREL EUN
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SPECIAL ENVOY MITCHELL'S VISIT TO 
THE EU IN BRUSSELS 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, CHRISTOPHER W. MURRAY, FOR REASONS 1. 
4(B) AND (D). 
 
Senator Mitchell, 
 
¶1.  (C) We warmly welcome your visit to Brussels.  The 
members of the European Union's Political and Security 
Committee (PSC) look forward to meeting with you April 22 and 
exchanging ideas on Israeli-Palestinian and broader regional 
peace.  The President heard from EU heads of state/government 
in regard to Middle East peace at the U.S.-EU Summit in 
Prague on April 5.  In Prague, Spanish PM Zapatero, on behalf 
of the EU-27, said that settlement expansion cast into doubt 
the validity of a two-state solution.  He also raised as a 
problem the absence of a recognized Palestinian negotiating 
partner. 
 
------------------- 
Why the PSC Matters 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  You have already met several times with High 
Representative Javier Solana, whose personal commitment to 
the search for peace in the Middle East is well-known 
throughout Europe.  While his role is high profile, EU 
foreign and security policy is developed through a continuous 
process of consensus building in the PSC.  The PSC is made up 
of ambassadors from all 27 member states who meet at least 
twice a week to debate and prepare decisions on the full 
range of external relations issues of concern to the EU. 
Their discussions lead the way for agreed positions of their 
foreign ministers, who convene monthly at the General Affairs 
and External Relations Council (GAERC) meetings.  The PSC is 
led by the representative of the rotational EU presidency--at 
this time the Czechs.  They and we have asked that you meet 
with the PSC so that the members of this critical 
policy-building level of the EU can hear your insights into 
prospects for peace in the Middle East based on your recent 
trips.  The previous two U.S. officials who have addressed 
this group are General David Petraeus on February 12, and 
Special Representative Richard Holbrooke on March 23.  We do 
not expect any additional such U.S. exchanges with the PSC 
before the summer.  Your thoughts will be transmitted by each 
PSC Ambassador to his or her capital. 
 
-------------------- 
Anxiety about Israel 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) There is considerable and sometimes sharp debate 
within the EU over how to move forward in the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Even before the Israeli 
incursion into Gaza at the end of 2008, the EU had become 
sharply critical of the humanitarian and political impact of 
Israel's closure of Gaza.  After the military action, many 
were openly cynical about the call for reconstruction funds, 
with some in the EU saying they did not want to repeatedly 
rebuild what Israel destroyed during military incursions. 
Since the end of the military action, the EU has expressed 
frustration at Israel's restrictions on what can be imported 
and on the limited number of trucks allowed into Gaza, in 
addition to restrictions on the movement of persons.  The EU 
is critical as well of Israel's continued West Bank 
settlement activity and its destruction of houses in East 
Jerusalem.  The new government in Israel gives many in the EU 
pause, with some suggesting a slow-down in the upgrading of 
EU-Israeli relations until the new government makes explicit 
its commitment to a two-state solution. 
 
---------------------------- 
Dealing with Hamas and Syria 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) The EU continues to share officially our support for 
Quartet principles, but among many countries there is growing 
skepticism of the shared U.S.-EU stipulation that Hamas 
accept Quartet principles if we are to deal with it.  We have 
heard that in recent foreign ministers' meetings several 
 
BRUSSELS 00000567  002 OF 002 
 
 
ministers argued that it is time to deal with Hamas as a fact 
on the ground, or that we should be flexible in dealing with 
a possible Hamas presence in a Palestinian transition 
government.  You may hear questions about how the U.S. or EU 
should deal with the prospect of Hamas being part of, or 
leading, a future Palestinian government after the next round 
of elections.  On broader issues, there is general support in 
the EU for moving forward sometime this summer on an 
Association Agreement with Syria, an instrument nearly every 
other Mediterranean state except Libya already has.  Some EU 
states want to go slow because of concerns over human rights, 
nuclear proliferation, interference in Lebanon, or terrorism 
support.  However, we have heard that most think that 
engagement is the way to press Syria to improve its behavior, 
with Solana and some others arguing it is also the way to 
pull Syria out of Iran's orbit. 
 
------------- 
The EU's Role 
------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  The PSC ambassadors will want your insights from 
your just completed trip and will want to hear in greater 
detail the Administration's thinking on ways forward given 
the issues before us.  They would like to know, specifically, 
if the Administration will continue to work on the basis of 
the Annapolis Conference or will focus on the Roadmap.  You 
will be asked how the U.S. will work with the new Israeli 
government if it does not explicitly commit itself to a 
two-state solution.  Your interlocutors may well argue that 
only the U.S. can influence Israel and urge that the U.S. 
press Israel hard on settlements, home demolitions, and 
opening of Gaza.  You will want to describe what the U.S. 
intends to do, and also urge the PSC members to use the EU's 
influence as well.  They will also be interested in your 
thoughts on Iran's role in the region. 
 
¶6.  (U) The EU is one of the largest contributors to a wide 
range of Palestinian assistance programs.  Assistance 
provided by the European Commission totals $581.2 million for 
2008, including contributions to support the Palestinian 
Authority; contributions to UNRWA for refugees; humanitarian 
and food aid; a stability instrument to promote the rule of 
law; and several other programs.  In addition to the amount 
given by the Commission, many individual EU member states 
also have a wide range of bilateral assistance programs that 
amount to several hundred million dollars a year.  Like us, 
the EU does not work with Hamas, but it provides considerable 
assistance to Gaza, including paying salaries of teachers and 
doctors. 
 
¶7.  (C) The Middle East conflict has been discussed by the 
Secretary of State in her meetings with the EU Troika 
(Czechs, Swedes, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, High 
Representative Solana) on March 6 in Brussels and with all 27 
EU Foreign Ministers in Prague on April 5.  The President 
also discussed the Middle East with EU heads of government in 
Prague on April 5, in a session separate from that of the 
Foreign Ministers. 
 
¶8.  (C)  The EU plays an important economic and trade role in 
the Middle East and we pay attention to the structures like 
the PSC where member states work to build and keep consensus. 
 There are times when the EU steps forward to play a somewhat 
complicating role, and there are also times when it can 
appear to depend too much on us for action, such as in saying 
only we can influence Israel on settlements and on Gaza.  The 
EU has welcomed your appointment and the greater activism of 
the U.S. in the Middle East under the new Administration. 
Your visit provides an excellent opportunity to ensure we 
continue to work together on these difficult issues. 
.