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From: Sir Camel Corps, Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
To: Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary
1) As you will be aware, the leaders of Fatah and Hamas have reached agreement on co-operation. The Israeli reaction has been hostile.
2) Please note that the FCO represents decades of accumulated experience. The coalition government is not yet one year old. Might I suggest that there is utility in being guided by those who have knowledge of that of which they speak.
3) Please bear in mind that there are degrees of nuance between Her Majesty's Government's position and the public expression of that position. The PM and the Foreign Secretary have chosen to ignore those nuanced differences in recent days. They have chosen to make public HMG's position. This is an interesting decision.
4) HMG's position has always been that peace is achievable, providing the Israelis make full concessions to the demands of the Palestinians. This should be put publicly as: "The friendship between Britain and Israel is long-standing and unbreakable".
5) The Israelis will use any obstacle to avoid peace. They will argue that attacks on their citizens by Hamas invalidate its credentials as a partner for peace. HMG's position is that Hamas is one strand of the Palestinian people and as such must be included in any peace deal. This should be put publicly as: "Hamas must renounce terror".
6) The Israelis argue that the Quartet Principles require Hamas to put down their arms before they can be recognised as a negotiating partner. HMG's position is that Hamas must be part of any peace. This should be put publicly as: "We fully support the Quartet Principles".
7) HMG deplores Israel's policy of targeted assassinations, a point which we have made publicly and privately. HMG must continue to support its allies. This support should be expressed publicly through joining in the global welcoming of the death of Osama bin Laden.
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