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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #0342/01 0552113
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 242113Z FEB 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7671
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 8825
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0056
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 5218
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, SEMEP, AND IPA; NSC FOR 
SHAPIRO/KUMAR; JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020 
TAGS: PGOV PBTS KPAL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: SETTLER COUNCIL CHAIRMAN:  TWO STATE SOLUTION "NOT 
FEASIBLE" 
 
REF: 09 JERUSALEM 892 
 
Classified By: Consul General Daniel Rubinstein 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  The Chairman of the "Council of Jewish 
Communities of Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip," Dani 
Dayan, told the Consul General on February 22 that Dayan 
believed West Bank settlements are "irreversible" and that 
the two-state solution is not feasible.  Dayan said he 
continues to disagree with USG settlement policies but no 
longer trusts the Israeli government to accurately represent 
his constituency.  He suggested that the USG should focus 
instead on developing the Palestinian economy and 
rehabilitating refugee camps, adding that full political 
rights for Palestinians are "unattainable."  Dayan said he is 
"convinced" that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
will not evacuate West Bank settlements.  He also 
acknowledged that some settlers were guilty of "morally 
horrific" attacks on Palestinian property meant to raise the 
"price tag" of Israeli government actions against settlements 
and outposts.  End Summary. 
 
"IMPORTANT TO MEET DESPITE DISAGREEMENTS" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) YESHA (the Hebrew acronym for "Judea, Samaria, and 
Gaza") Council Chairman Dani Dayan met with the Consul 
General in Jerusalem on February 22 for a private exchange of 
views.  Dayan began by noting that, for some time, he had 
seen no point in continuing conversations with a USG that 
remains "hostile to West Bank settlements and (their) 
residents." 
 
¶3.  (C) Dayan said that now, he believed, both he and the USG 
have "different perspectives."  He cited a January Time 
magazine interview with President Obama as the basis for this 
claim.  Dayan said he ultimately realized the importance of 
continuing dialogue with the USG because "there is a feeling 
that our fate is being dealt with without us being heard, and 
the Israeli government may not reflect our sentiments."  As a 
side note, Dayan said that he met privately with four Members 
of Congress who visited the region as part of a Nodel 
co-sponsored by Churches for Middle East Peace and J Street, 
as well as with Quartet Representative Tony Blair. 
 
"SETTLEMENTS IRREVERSIBLE" 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Dayan described USG efforts to secure a settlement 
freeze as misguided, adding that the freeze did not bring any 
mutual benefits, only "injustices" for settlers.  He claimed 
that despite the November 2009 GOI moratorium on new 
residential construction in West Bank settlements, the 
settlement population east of the 1967 border had surpassed 
300,000 in 2009.  "The facts on the ground are irreversible," 
Dayan said, adding that it is "wishful thinking" that the GOI 
will ultimately seek to relocate hundreds of thousands of 
Israelis from their homes, or even just those located east of 
Israel's security barrier in the West Bank.  "The U.S. must 
tackle the fact, whether they like it or not, that Jews will 
remain in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," he said, adding 
that he is "convinced" that neither Prime Minister Netanyahu 
nor any conceivable future Israeli leader will evacuate West 
Bank settlements. 
 
TWO-STATES "NOT FEASIBLE," PALESTINIANS TO BLAME 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5.  (C) Dayan criticized USG policy of promoting a two-state 
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying it "will 
take you to a dead end."  He added that it is "irresponsible" 
not to search for other paths that are "attainable here and 
now," such as increasing Palestinian economic prosperity and 
forcing the Arab states to "rehabilitate" the refugee 
population by building permanent homes and communities that 
"will be beneficial for the Palestinians and for peace." 
Dayan said that efforts to train and equip PA security forces 
will be "catastrophic" in the long term.  He criticized USG 
efforts in this area, as well as relaxation of restrictions 
on Palestinian movement and access in the West Bank, as 
"detrimental" to Israel's security.  The Consul General 
responded to Dayan,s points by emphasizing the USG,s strong 
and enduring commitment to peaceful resolution of conflicts 
in the region spanning different administrations and eras, 
 
noting that this served not only U.S. national interests, but 
also the interests of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. 
 
¶6.  (C) "If (the USG) achieves security, economic prosperity, 
rehabilitation of the refugee camps, and Palestinian human 
rights," Dayan said, "then all that is left is the political 
rights of the Palestinians.  But, I don't think full 
political rights are attainable."  Dayan blamed the 
Palestinian leadership for Palestinians' failure to achieve a 
state and full political rights, claiming that the 
Palestinians rejected previous partition plans when they were 
offered.  Dayan also defended the existing level of 
Palestinian political rights, noting that "Palestinians are 
the Arabs with the most rights than the rest of their 
brothers, except, maybe, the Lebanese." 
 
¶7.  (C) Dayan said he is "deeply attached" to the West Bank 
and understood why Palestinians have similar sentiments, but 
he asserted that Israeli settlers have a moral right to 
settle the West Bank.  He also acknowledged that some of his 
constituency were guilty of "morally horrific things" such as 
attacks on Palestinian property meant to raise the "price 
tag" of outpost evacuations or efforts to restrict settlement 
construction. 
 
RUBINSTEIN