ARAB-ISRAELI COOPERATION--MERC MAKES THE GRADE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 AMMAN 004722

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/RA LAWWON, NEA/IPA RATNEY, OES/PCI SHIPPE
STATE PASS USAID DAVID O'BRIEN
TELAVIV FOR GUMBINER
JERUSALEM FOR RANZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2007
TAGS: SENV PREL JO MEPN
SUBJECT: ARAB-ISRAELI COOPERATION--MERC MAKES THE GRADE

Classified By: DCM GREGORY L. BERRY, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) An embassy survey of Jordanian scientists
collaborating with Israeli counterparts on MERC (Middle East
Regional Cooperation) projects confirmed that, despite the
tense political climate in the region, the projects generally
are on track. Creative measures have been taken to maintain
momentum and continue the cooperative spirit of MERC. While
many of those we interviewed stated personal anger toward
Israel since the second Intifada began in September 2000,
their personal and professional relationships with Israeli
colleagues remained intact. On the whole, Jordanian MERC
scientists seem to have been able to separate their politics
and emotions from their professional activities. Staying
above the emotionally charged political fray speaks volumes
about the success of MERC in fostering these kinds of
enduring people-to-people contacts. End Summary.

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MERC-urial JORDANIAN/ISRAELI RELATIONS?
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2. (SBU) In an effort to gauge the effect of the Intifada and
deteriorating political and security climate on the Middle
East Regional Cooperation (MERC) projects with a Jordanian
component, we sounded out a small sampling of Jordanian
participants. These projects, funded through the Middle East
Peace Process mechanism and administered by USAID, typically
have 3-year funding cycles and project budgets ranging from
several hundred thousand dollars to two million dollars.
MERC,s mission is to encourage scientific cooperation
between Israelis and Arabs by funding collaborative projects
on topics of mutual concern to the core parties which may
improve the social, economic, or health conditions of the
population. The MERC projects undergo rigorous scientific
peer review before approval. Each project must include an
Israeli scientist and at least one Arab scientist from the
region. US scientists may also participate, but not as a
buffer to direct cooperation. Currently, there are 19 active
MERC projects, most of which applied and received funding
approval before September 2000, the beginning of the second
Intifada.


3. (SBU) For this report, we interviewed 10 Jordanian
scientists or individuals that are actively working on MERC
projects. We investigated the impact of two years of
political unrest on their ability to sustain momentum on the
MERC projects. Not surprisingly, most MERC projects
underwent significant changes with the onset of the Intifada.
These changes, from the logistical to the emotional to the
philosophical, reflect corresponding shifts within Jordanian
society,s attitudes towards relations with its Israeli
neighbors.


4. (SBU) Nevertheless, the status of those MERC projects we
investigated gives hope. A very few projects are not
functioning and have been postponed indefinitely, while some
have had great, even inspirational, success despite the
Intifada. In some rare cases, other participants have
initiated totally new cooperative projects after the violence
began. Generally speaking, MERC projects remain on track,
despite the difficult and sensitive political situation.

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BALANCING THE INTIFADA WITH REGIONAL COOPERATION
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5. (SBU) All ongoing MERC projects have necessarily
transformed, as the violence of the Intifada became the
status quo. The most obvious changes were logistical, as
joint work necessitating border crossings between Jordan and
Israel became increasingly difficult for both practical and
political reasons. The most commonly reported adjustments
had to do both with the cancellation of, or relocation and
reduced frequency of, scheduled meetings. In most cases,
MERC participants were scheduled to meet on a regular basis
and rotate the location of the meetings between the
participating countries, something that became increasingly
difficult over time.


6. (SBU) With the beginning of the Intifada, travel became
much more difficult, especially travel to Israel. Travel
anywhere by participating Palestinian scientists ebbed and
flowed with the closures on the ground. More than half of
the scientists we spoke to said that at least a few meetings
had been cancelled, and some individuals admitted they were
unable to hold entire series of meetings. Alternate
&neutral8 meeting spots outside the Middle East, such as
Cyprus, were often arranged, but it wasn,t just that the
number of meetings dropped, but also the quality of the
meetings that were able to take place diminished.

7. (SBU) In about half of the projects that also involved a
Palestinian component, Palestinian partners were not able to
attend the meetings. In other cases, the rotation of meeting
locations was meant to provide site visits and training on
specialized equipment, most often located in Israel, which
could not take place with the outbreak of the Intifada. In
one project, training on medical equipment in Israel which
was vital to the second phase of the project did not take
place because of the inability of Jordanian and Palestinian
scientists to get entry visas (MERC Project Number M17-055).


8. (SBU) Projects also suffered because of the necessary
postponement or canceling of research, as a result of
security concerns on both sides of the Jordan River. In the
most extreme example, a MERC project on seismic calibration
(M18-035) was postponed indefinitely after the Israeli and
Jordanian militaries prevented scientists from conducting
controlled underground explosions in the Jordan Valley
necessary for the research.

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PEER PRESSURE ON CAMPUS
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9. (SBU) All of the university scientists we met acknowledged
they felt some form of pressure to postpone their work with
their Israeli counterparts. The pressure took several
forms-- peer pressure, personal convictions/philosophy, and
external professional pressure.


10. (SBU) Most of the interviewees, with one exception
(M21-065),said that their superiors knew about their
participation in the MERC program, and, in most cases, had
openly encouraged them to participate when the projects were
in their planning stages before September 2000. Most of those
interviewed did remark, however, that, while their superiors
approved of their continued participation in MERC, they were
extremely concerned that their participation not become
public.


11. (SBU) Of greater concern to the university scientists was
the perception by their professional colleagues of their
Israeli collaboration. Most of our meetings with university
scientists were held furtively, behind closed doors and with
no acknowledgment of the meeting when interrupted by phone
calls. Many of the university scientists took pains to keep
not only their MERC participation but also our interview
itself as discreet as possible, in one extreme case even
asking the interviewer not to &come in an embassy car or
tell anyone at the university why you are here.8 All the
university scientists confided to us that most of their
colleagues did not know of their Israeli collaboration, and
that if they did, it could be used against them in department
turf battles, personal disagreements, or passed on to student
groups that are notorious opponents of Jordan,s peace treaty
with Israel. We noted that most of the MERC scientists
interviewed had no knowledge of other professors
participating on MERC projects, even when those colleagues
were in collocated departments.

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TOEING THE PARTY LINE AT THE MINISTRY
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12. (SBU) The government scientists, in contrast, were
extremely open about their participation in the MERC program.
These meetings were held openly, literally with doors left
ajar. In this public sphere, cooperation with the Israelis
was taken for granted in many cases, and the MERC projects
were by no means the only projects with an Israeli component
their offices had worked on. Despite the personal
convictions of the government scientists, which may have been
antithetical to Israeli collaboration, most felt sincerely
that their cooperation was an integral element of their job
and therefore never considered ending their participation.

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SOUL SEARCHING
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13. (SBU) Most scientists went through some degree of
soul-searching regarding their work with Israelis, despite
the fact that most of them never truly considered leaving the
projects. Often this personal examination ebbed and flowed
with the fluctuating situation on the ground, despite most
scientists reporting good to excellent relationships with the
Israeli individuals they worked with. Opinions about
Israelis generally ran the gamut from considering them
&normal people who have elected terrible leaders8 to
&cold-blooded child-killers.8 Many MERC participants
reflected, rather emotionally, that they &just don,t feel
good8 about working with Israelis, and that they have had to
justify their continued participation to themselves, as well
as to others, by placing their scientific endeavors above
politics.


14. (C) Half of those interviewed said they felt some degree
of pressure from their extended families, especially those
Jordanian scientists of Palestinian heritage. 30% of the
scientists said they made a deliberate effort to not disclose
their Israeli collaboration to their extended families for
fear that it would elicit too much &talk8 about town and
reflect negatively on the entire household. In the end, only
two scientists, Palestinian-Jordanian brothers, claimed that
their personal convictions led them to postpone their
participation (M21-012). One brother,s highly visible
position as President of a Jordanian university likely
contributed to their inability or unwillingness to continue
their cooperation at this time.

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ISLAMISTS*BARK WORSE THAN BITE
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15. (C) By far, the type of pressure most widely felt by all
the scientists came from organizations such as student groups
and professional associations. For the university scientists
especially, fear of the politically active student groups,
with their newspapers, anti-normalization pamphlets, and
blacklists, constituted the biggest threat. Most of our
interlocutors put the number of Islamists and radically
anti-normalization students at 10-15% of the university
student body, but described them as extremely organized and
active on campus, thus attributing to them greater clout than
their numbers might dictate. For many university scientists,
being blacklisted could make them targets of demonstrations,
petitions, and, in some cases, physical violence. At the
time of our survey, a Jordanian university president had
recently been stabbed by a student, and a third of those MERC
participants sited this as an example of political violence
they could face should their names be associated with Israeli
collaboration.


16. (C) Almost as prominent was the fear of being blacklisted
or targeted by the Islamist-dominated professional
associations, such as the engineers syndicate. Most feared
they would be expelled from their respective syndicates, and
that their professional reputations could be severely
tarnished by being listed in the associations, publications
as an &Israeli collaborator.8 One interviewee confided to
us that in the beginning of his project he appeared often on
Israeli TV, each time after which he received threatening
phone calls from members of the Jordanian Doctors, Syndicate
telling him to cease his participation or face expulsion
(M17-055). He since has toned-down his public profile in the
project, but cites the support and patronage of the current
Minister of Health as a reason he continues to have job
security.


17. (C) When pushed about the possible outcomes of being
blacklisted, most scientists admitted that concrete, negative
results would be minimal. One interviewee who was
blacklisted in the past year said that, despite his anger
over the publication of his name, inclusion on the list did
him little harm personally, and no damage to him
professionally. (M21-065) Many of the scientists mentioned
that, despite the fact that being blacklisted would generate
talk and attract undue attention, the accusations and threats
of the student groups and professional associations in
reality &had no teeth.8 With the exception of one
scientist who said he was questioned for four hours by the
Jordanian intelligence service about his participation in a
MERC project and who believes his phone is currently
monitored, none of the scientists felt any pressure from the
GOJ. In the end, the moderate (if quietly so) stance of both
the GOJ and university administrations is what allows these
scientists to continue their work.

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OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES
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18. (SBU) Despite logistical problems and societal pressures
posed by working with the Israelis, those interviewed showed
a great deal of creativity in overcoming these challenges and
continuing their work. In many cases, research goals were
adjusted or, more commonly, MERC scientists creatively
maneuvered their way around the problems in order to continue
work.

19. (SBU) In one case, Jordanian students were still sent to
Israel for training, despite the fact that the interviewed
scientist had to pay them double the original per diem
(M20-068). More commonly, some scientists would add an extra
day onto personal travel in order to meet with their Israeli
counterparts in a third country. In addition, many of our
Jordanian interlocutors reported that Palestinian
counterparts would spend an extra day in Amman upon return
from abroad in order to be trained by Jordanians, even when
the political climate prevented them from continuing their
work in the West Bank or Gaza.

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&EAST8 VERSUS &WEST8
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20. (C) Throughout the interviews, two major themes emerged:
the split between Jordanian East Bankers and
Palestinian-Jordanians (West Bankers) on their view of
Israelis; and the importance of &professional ethics8 in
keeping projects on track.


21. (C) Our interviews revealed the somewhat schizophrenic
nature of Jordanian society,s relationship with Israel.
Those surveyed ranged from a Christian East Banker who viewed
Palestinians as the greatest threat now facing Jordan to
Palestinian-Jordanian scientists who have family living under
curfew in the West Bank. This range of social backgrounds
produced a corresponding wide array of opinions on the
conflict and their participation in the MERC program.


22. (C) East Bankers were less virulent in their condemnation
of Israeli policy, and were much more open to continuing work
with individual Israeli scientists than were
Palestinian-Jordanians. Many of them described their
experiences on the projects as &excellent8, and had only
positive interaction with their Israeli counterparts. Most
spoke to their belief that cooperation and continued
interaction between the two countries was the only option,
and most often self-identified as &pro-peace.8 In the
words of one East Bank scientist, &Jordan has no option but
to go West.8 A few of the East Bank scientists went so far
as to call themselves &pioneers,8 one of whom dismissed the
pressure he is now under by philosophizing that &those of us
who start things are bound to suffer. In 20 years, everyone
will be working with the Israelis, and I will be seen as one
of the first.8


23. (C) In contrast, the Palestinian-Jordanians spoke more
vehemently against Israeli policy, often discoursing about
Israeli occupation and Israeli policy personified in Ariel
Sharon. Despite the fact that all of the
Palestinian-Jordanians described positive, even friendly
personal relationships with Israeli counterparts, most still
admitted that they, at times, still felt uncomfortable in
their presence. On the whole, the Palestinian-Jordanian
scientists seemed less able than the East Bankers to see
their Israeli counterparts as individuals. One
Palestinian-Jordanian shared with us his views: &You know,
this Israeli, he,s not a bad guy. I don,t think he likes
what,s happening. But you know, in Israel, they,re all in
the army. Even this guy goes a few times a year. I don,t
know that he,s killed children, but he,s part of it.
They,re all part of it.8

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SCIENCE TRUMPS POLITICS
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24. (SBU) Regardless of the diverse opinions of Israelis
expressed by the Jordanian scientists, only one MERC project
(M21-012) postponed work indefinitely because of the
Intifada. All of the other participants continued their
cooperation, whether grudgingly or happily, citing their
professionalism as the principal reason. Repeatedly, we
heard statements like, &I,m a scientist, not a
politician;8 &My work is science, I leave politics out of
it;8 or &I,m a professional; I don,t let politics
interfere in my work.8 Nearly all of the scientists seemed
to hold strong convictions that, whether out of professional
duty to their position, financial responsibility to their
institution, the pure advancement of science or even a strong
belief in peace, their participation in the MERC was not up
for debate.


25. (SBU) All the members of our sample were members of
professions that have an overarching ethic--doctors,
scientists, and academics. These &professional ethics8
appear to be contributing to the ongoing success of the MERC
program, especially helping to overcome some of the personal
anger about the current violence that might have otherwise
derailed some projects. In all but two cases, personal
feelings came second to professional convictions and a
commitment to science, health, or regional peace.

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COMMENT: PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS NEVER IN THE EATING
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26. (SBU) Two years after the renewed outbreak of violence,
most MERC projects can still be considered success stories of
regional cooperation, and the support of the government of
Jordan as well as the professions the MERC scientists hail
from are likely a strong element of their success. Moreover,
the Jordanian scientists shared with us their enthusiasm for
joining the MERC program because they recognized the
intrinsic value of knowledge acquisition from Israeli and
American colleagues. The important role professional ethics
plays in keeping projects active lies in stark contrast to
those other attempts at fostering peace through
people-to-people exchanges based on little more than breaking
bread (or eating hommos) together.


27. (SBU) We have similar positive experience in the context
of the Multilateral Working Groups on Water Resources and the
Environment. In these two fora, Israeli scientists routinely
collaborate with their Arab counterparts on issues such as
watershed management, environmental curricula, and combating
desertification. These successful experiences show the
continuing effectiveness of bridging the political divide
through objective and less emotionally sensitive scientific
endeavors like MERC.
GNEHM