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CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

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### Viewing cable 09TELAVIV2777, CODEL SKELTON'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER

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Reference ID | Date | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | ---
09TELAVIV2777 | 2009-12-23 10:10 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Tel Aviv

`

    VZCZCXRO3883
    PP RUEHROV
    DE RUEHTV #2777/01 3571034
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 231034Z DEC 09
    FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4704
    INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 7238
    RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0898
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 002777

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2019
    TAGS: PREL PGOV KNNP MASS SY TU FR KWBG IR IS
    SUBJECT: CODEL SKELTON'S MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER
    NETANYAHU

    Classified By: DCM Luis G. Moreno, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)

    ¶1.  (C) Summary.  CODEL Skelton met with Prime Minister
    Netanyahu November 16 at the Prime Minister's office in
    Jerusalem.  Their discussion covered Netanyahu's meeting with
    President Obama the previous week, Netanyahu's interest in
    resuming negotiations with the Palestinians, the Iranian
    nuclear program and options for tougher sanctions, possible
    negotiations with Syria, U.S.-Israeli cooperation on missile
    defense, and Israel's objections to the Goldstone Report.
    Netanyahu said his meeting with the President was the best
    meeting that they have had.  He stressed that he had told the
    President that he is ready to negotiate with Abu Mazen now,
    and contrasted Israel's position with the PA's setting of
    preconditions for negotiations.  Netanyahu listed steps the
    GOI has taken to support Abu Mazen, noting that the PA is
    "doing a good job" on security.  A nuclear Iran, however,
    would "wash away" all progress as well as undermining
    Israel's peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.  Netanyahu
    said that Iran is vulnerable to sanctions and urged the U.S.
    to increase the pressure on Iran, with likeminded countries
    if Russia and China will not support new sanctions in the
    Security Council.  Netanyahu commented that there is broader
    Arab and European support for tough sanctions than in the
    past, although the Arabs may not say so publicly.  Netanyahu
    praised President Obama's commitment to missile defense, and
    commented that U.S.-Israeli cooperation on missile defense
    sends a strong signal to Israel's enemies.  He thanked the
    CODEL for the Congress' support.  Netanyahu said Israel faces
    three main threats:  Iran's nuclear program, the build-up of
    rockets and missiles in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, and the
    Goldstone Report, which condemned Israel for defending its
    civilian population from years of rocket attacks.  Netanyahu
    said Israel will need to ensure that a future Palestinian
    state cannot launch rockets at Israel's international airport
    or critical facilities.  End Summary.

    Let's Get on with Negotiations
    ------------------------------

    ¶2.  (U) CODEL Skelton, consisting of House Armed Services
    Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D, MO) and Mrs. Skelton,
    Representative Steve Israel (D-NY), Representative Tim Murphy
    (R, PA), Congressional Staff members Phil McNaughton, Michael
    Casey, and John Wason, Military aides Colonel Jeff Koch and
    PolCouns met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu November
    ¶16.  Netanyahu was joined by Deputy National Security Adviser
    Rear Admiral (reserve) Avriel Bar Josef, media adviser Mark
    Regev, policy adviser Ari Harrow, and a Congressional liaison
    officer from the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

    ¶3.  (C) Netanyahu began the meeting by noting his
    appreciation for his meeting with President Obama at the
    White House the previous week.  Netanyahu described his
    conversation with the President as "the best we've had so
    far."  He said that regarding negotiations with the
    Palestinians, he told the President, "let's get on with it."
    Netanyahu stated that his government had removed hundreds of
    obstacles and roadblocks in the West Bank, helping the West
    Bank economy achieve a seven percent growth rate, adding "and
    we can kick it up to ten percent growth."  Netanyahu said his
    Bar Ilan address last June had been difficult for him, but it
    had united Israelis in support of accepting a demilitarized
    Palestinian state.  The current GOI had also restrainted
    construction in settlements more than its past several
    predecessors.

    ¶4.  (C) Netanyahu then contrasted his efforts with the PA,
    which he said is maintaining a "political and economic
    boycott" of Israel, setting preconditions for negotiations,
    supporting the Goldstone Report in the UN, and is now talking
    about a unilateral declaration of independence.  Israel wants
    to engage, but the Palestinians do not.  Netanyahu quoted a
    Palestinian official as saying that the PA had "exhausted the
    negotiating process," then noted that the Palestinians have
    not even started to talk to his government.  The real
    difference, he pointed out, is that Abu Mazen is facing
    elections, while Israel has already conducted its elections.
    Netanyahu also commented that the Palestinians had initially
    expected the U.S. to "deliver Israel" on all of their
    demands, but are now realizing that this will not happen.
    President Obama understands, he stated, that Israel is ready
    to move forward.  The alternatives to negotiations are bad
    for everyone.  Netanyahu said that if Abu Mazen would engage,
    they would confront all the issues.  The process would not be
    easy, but it has to get started.

    ¶5.  (C) Netanyahu said the West Bank had remained quiet
    during Operation Cast Lead because the Palestinians do not

    TEL AVIV 00002777  002 OF 003

    want to live under Hamas' rule.  He asserted that according
    to recent polls, Abu Mazen and Fatah would easily win an
    election, even in Gaza.  Netanyahu stressed that he was not
    pushing for the Palestinians to hold elections, but was
    instead focused on promoting the expansion of the West Bank
    economy by removing both physical and bureaucratic obstacles.
     He acknowledged that the PA is "doing a good job" on
    security, though he added that PA leaders are not aware of
    everything Israel is doing to support the PA's security.  If
    we could add a political process to the cooperation that
    currently exists, we could get security, economic
    development, and peace.  Netanyahu warned, however, that if
    Iran gets a nuclear bomb, the peace process would be "washed
    away."  Even Israel's peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan
    would come under enormous pressure.

    Iran Sanctions
    --------------

    ¶6.  (C) Chairman Skelton noted that his Committee is
    following Iran closely.  Netanyahu said he had advised the
    President to stick to the deadline on the TRR offer, adding
    that it is also important to ask Iran to stop its enrichment
    activities.  Netanyahu commented that there is a new mood in
    the major European capitals in support of sanctions.  The
    U.S. does not need to depend on the Security Council, but can
    work with likeminded countries.  Sanctions should focus on
    Iran's importation of gasoline, while also focusing on
    opening up the information networks.  The U.S. should lead
    the world toward tougher sanctions, or more of the Arab
    states will start appeasing Iran, as Qatar is doing.
    Netanyahu summed up his advice as:  "stick to the deadline,
    be firm on the terms, and apply sanctions" if Iran does not
    comply.  He thought Russia may be more inclined than in the
    past, but it would be best not to count on the Security
    Council.  Having set a deadline, the P5 1 should stick to it.
     The Western powers at least will go along.  We should close
    the gap between understanding the problem and acting on it,
    he said.  Netanyahu said Israel's problems with Iran are not
    limited to its nuclear program.  Even without a nuclear
    umbrella, Iran is sending hundreds of tons of weapons to
    Syria, Hamas and Hizballah.  The ship seized November 3 by
    the Israeli Navy had on board two thirds of the amount of
    rockets fired at Israel during the 2006 Lebanon War.

    ¶7.  (C) Representative Israel asked Netanyahu about the
    timetable for Iran to achieve a nuclear weapon.  Netanyahu
    responded that Iran has the capability now to make one bomb
    or they could wait and make several bombs in a year or two.
    It is important to bear in mind that the Iranian regime was
    exposed as a fraud during their presidential elections.  The
    Iranian people detest the regime and have shown great courage
    in the streets.  The exposure of the Qom facility also helped
    convince doubters in the international community that Iran
    has a weapons program.  Iran has a weak economy and a
    fractured political system, so it is vulnerable to sanctions.
     The time to act diplomatically is now, Netanyahu     said,
    adding that we still have a year or two to stop the Iranian
    program.  Netanyahu said he thought President Obama
    understands Iran perfectly.  The Arab leaders hope Iran will
    be stopped, there is broad Arab and European support for
    "vigorous steps."  Chairman Skelton asked whether the Arabs
    would state their support publicly.  Netanyahu replied they
    might not, but it would not make a large difference since the
    Arab "street" will not rise up in support of the Iranian
    regime.

    Ready to Talk to Syria
    ----------------------

    ¶8.  (C) Regarding Syria, Netanyahu urged the U.S. to press
    Damascus to stop supplying arms to Hizballah.  Noting that he
    had stopped in Paris to meet President Sarkozy on his way
    back to Israel from Washington, Netanyahu confirmed media
    reports that Sarkozy had offered to mediate between Israel
    and Syria.  Netanyahu said he would prefer direct
    negotiations with the Syrians, but added that he would accept
    France as a mediator.  President Asad, however, still wants
    Turkey as the mediator.  Noting that Turkish PM Erdogan had
    recently stated that he would prefer to meet with Sudanese
    President Omar Bashir than with Netanyahu, Netanyahu asked
    how the Turks could be fair mediators.

    Working Together on Missile Defense
    -----------------------------------

    ¶9.  (C) Netanyahu said that in addition to peace with the
    Palestinians and Iran, he and the President had discussed
    joint U.S.-Israeli efforts on missile defense.  Netanyahu

    TEL AVIV 00002777  003 OF 003

    commented that he had personally visited the Juniper Cobra
    joint military exercise.  The program has reached a phase at
    which it is possible to monitor incoming missiles with a good
    lead-time, but it is still very expensive to intercept "crude
    rockets" such as those fired from Gaza.  The information
    shield is moving ahead nicely, but the physical shield is
    lagging behind.  Netanyahu observed that it is very important
    for the U.S. and its allies to be able to defend themselves
    against missile attack.  Chairman Skelton noted that U.S.
    personnel who briefed the CODEL were very optimistic about
    the program.  Netanyahu said only the U.S. and Israel are
    currently working on missile defense.  This cooperation sends
    a powerful message to Israel's enemies he noted, and thanked
    the CODEL and the Congress for their support.

    Goldstone Report a Key Threat
    -----------------------------

    ¶10.  (C) Netanyahu commented that Israel currently faces
    three principal threats:  Iran's nuclear program, missile
    proliferation and the Goldstone Report.  Goldstone gave
    terrorists immunity to attack Israel if they fire from
    populated areas.  During Cast Lead the IDF send thousands and
    flyers, text messages and phone calls to civilians, warning
    them to get out of the way, yet Israel was accused of war
    crimes.  Hamas and other terrorists fired 12.000 rockets into
    Israel from Gaza, Netanyahu said, noting that Israel is the
    only country in the world faced with threats to annihilate
    it.  Netanyahu asked the CODEL to imagine a situation in
    which Israeli Air Force pilots must consult with lawyers
    before they can travel abroad.  Former PM Olmert, former
    FonMin Livni and DefMin Barak could be hauled before the
    International Criminal Court.  Netanyahu said he could not
    accept that IDF soldiers could be charged with war crimes for
    protecting their country from constant attack.  The deaths of
    several hundred civilians in Gaza was "tragic," Netanyahu
    said, but there was no deliberate targeting of civilians by
    Israel.  Deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime,
    but what should Israel do when terrorists deliberately target
    Israeli civilians and then hide within their civilian
    population?

    ¶11.  (U) CODEL Skelton did not clear this cable.
    CUNNINGHAM

`