VZCZCXRO5556
PP RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRB #0946 3361654
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021654Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0871
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS RABAT 000946
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/IPA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGPV PNAT KPAL KWBG MO IS XF
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ISRAEL'S SETTLEMENT MORATORIUM
REF: STATE 122214
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.
(SBU) Polcouns delivered subject demarche to Director General
for Arab and Islamic Relations Mohammed Azeroual on Dec. 1.
Azeroual stated that the settlement moratorium in the West
Bank was "a step forward, but incomplete." He noted
specifically excluding Jerusalem from the settlement
moratorium was unacceptable for Palestinian President Abbas,
and for much of the Arab world. He confirmed the need for
all parties to seize the opportunity of President Obama's
engagement on the peace process and expressed Morocco's
willingness to continue talking to all sides. He also
suggested that if the Israelis were to enforce a full,
across-the-board moratorium applicable to all areas, they
would see a positive response from Arab countries that have
been less willing than Morocco to engage the Israeli side.
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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco
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JACKSON