DUTCH QUERY ITALIANS ABOUT ISRAELI PARTICIPATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003319 SIPDIS DEFENSE FOR OSD AT&L E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2012 TAGS: MASS MARR EAIR PREL IT UN SUBJECT: DUTCH QUERY ITALIANS ABOUT ISRAELI PARTICIPATION IN JSF CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 03319 081456Z CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINISTER-COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5(B) (D) ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPH 5. ¶2. (C) THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR AND DCM IN ROME EXPRESSED CONCERN TO EMB OFFICERS REGARDING POSSIBLE ISRAELI PARTICIPATION IN JSF. THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR MENTIONED THE ISSUE AT THE EMBASSY'S JULY 4 RECEPTION, AND THE DUTCH DCM, WILLIAM VAN EE, FOLLOWED UP THE NEXT DAY TO SEE IF OUR ITALIAN CONTACTS HAD RAISED THE MATTER WITH US. ¶3. (C) VAN EE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE DUTCH VIEW, ISRAEL'S APPLICATION IS LARGELY POLITICALLY INSPIRED. GIVEN THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, VAN EE SAID HIS GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS IS THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN A COOPERATIVE PROJECT WITH ISRAEL. IN ADDITION, ISRAEL'S PARTICIPATION WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE RESTRICTIVE EXPORT POLICY OF THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT BASED ON CONCERNS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS, VAN EE SAID. ¶4. (C) VAN EE REPORTED THAT HE HAD MET WITH THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE MFA OFFICE OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION ON JULY 5 TO DISCUSS DUTCH CONCERNS AND TO GAUGE ITALIAN REACTIONS. VAN EE SAID HIS ITALIAN INTERLOCUTOR BELIEVED THAT ISRAEL HAS BEEN ON THE LIST OF POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS ALL ALONG, AND THAT ISRAEL WAS INCLUDED AS SUCH IN THE ITALIAN MOU. VAN EE ASKED HIM TO VERIFY THIS, AS THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR DIFFERENCE FROM THE MOU SIGNED BY THE DUTCH. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 03319 081456Z ¶5. (C) ACTION REQUEST. POST WOULD APPRECIATE GUIDANCE ON USG REACTION TOWARD ISRAEL'S APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE IN JSF AND CLARIFICATION AS TO WHETHER ISRAEL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN OTHER MOUS AS A POTENTIAL PARTICIPANT. WE UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IS BEING STUDIED BY RELEVANT OFFICES IN WASHINGTON. WE HAVE NOT BEEN APPROACHED BY THE GOI BUT ANTICIPATE THAT WE MAY BE NOW THAT THE DUTCH HAVE RAISED THE ISSUE. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME03319 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL