VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #0888 0611333
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 021333Z MAR 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0674
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY S E C R E T JERUSALEM 000888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MUSTAFA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2026 
TAGS:          
SUBJECT: IRANIAN FINANCING FOR HAMAS? 
 
Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
 
 1. (S) ConGen contacts in Fatah and the PA have not been able 
to confirm press reports that Iran pledged to provide USD 250 
million in funding to the incoming Hamas government. 
However, our contacts do agree that Hamas is reaching out to 
countries such as Iran to obtain funding in the face of 
Israel's decision not to transfer clearance revenues to the 
PA. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Fatah Revolutionary Council Member 
---------------------------------- 
 
 2. (S)  Fatah Revolutionary Council Member Mohammed al-Madani 
said that he believes Iran did in fact make the USD 250 
million pledge during the recent Hamas visit to Tehran, but 
he could not confirm when the funds would be disbursed. 
Al-Madani said there are divisions within Hamas on the 
desirability of Iranian funding. He said that Hamas Deputy 
Political Chief Mousa Abu Marzouk, who the Associated Press 
quoted in a March 1 report as denying that the Iranians had 
specified an amount, is opposed to Iranian funding, which 
puts him in opposition to Khaled Mishaal.  Abu Marzouk favors 
support coming from the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, even if 
Hamas has to compromise its political positions to receive 
such funding.  Al-Madani said that his Gazan sources who have 
open channels with Hamas tell him that the issue has been 
repeatedly debated within Hamas. 
 
 3. (S) Al-Madani went on to say that Abu Marzouk heads a 
faction within Hamas advocating that the movement make the 
minimum changes to its policies necessary to receive external 
assistance.  Al-Madani said that the March 1 remarks to the 
press by Abu Marzouk are in fact the public airing of an 
internal Hamas dispute.   He also said that Abu Marzouk has 
been working with some Saudi officials to arrange for fatwas 
that would enable Hamas to moderate its political platform in 
preparation for the forming of a PA government.  Abu Marzouk 
apparently believes that, if he is successful, he will move 
Hamas closer to Quartet conditions than to the Iranian terms. 
 
---------------------------- 
Former PLC Member Nabil Amre 
---------------------------- 
 
 4. (S) Former PLC member Nabil Amre suggested that Abu 
Mazen's February 18 speech addressed the Iranian funding 
issue specifically when the President warned Hamas and anyone 
else against striking alliances detrimental to the 
Palestinian cause.  Amre said that he views the USD 250 
million report as a serious one; however, he was unable to 
confirm whether a specific pledge of USD 250 million was made 
by Iran to Hamas.  Amre also said that Fatah's experience 
prior to the creation of the PA with the Iranian regime 
suggests that the Iranians talk a lot and do little when it 
comes to financial support.  He also said he doubted that 
Iran would be able to fund a Hamas-led PA for long. 
 
-------------------- 
General Intelligence 
-------------------- 
 
 5. (S) A senior member of General Intelligence (GI) told Pol 
Specialist March 1 that the PA is still verifying whether a 
specific pledge was actually made.  However, he said that 
this report did not come as a surprise and was in line with 
reports GI had been gathering on the matter even before the 
elections.  He said the GI believes that Iran had decided to 
earmark a certain proportion of its oil sales for Hamas in 
the event the movement needed further funding after the 
elections.  He said that further meetings had been held 
between Khaled Mishaal and Iranian officials and more 
specific commitments were made by Iranian officials to extend 
financial support to Hamas.  The GI officer said that his 
reading of the situation is that Hamas wants, at this point, 
to keep all of its options open, but he doubted that Iran 
would be able to transfer such large amounts of money into 
the West Bank or Gaza. 
 
WALLES