JORDANIANS, ISRAELIS FAULT THE OTHER FOR LACK OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007111 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2013 TAGS: KPAL IS PTER LE JO SUBJECT: JORDANIANS, ISRAELIS FAULT THE OTHER FOR LACK OF PROGRESS ON PRISONER DEAL REF: A. JERUSALEM 03548 ¶B. BEIRUT 04585 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Ghehm for reasons 1.5 (B, D) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Jordanian Foreign Minister Muasher on October 28 publicly defended Jordan's as yet unsuccessful efforts to negotiate the release of 82 Jordanian prisoners currently held in Israel. Muasher's public comment on this issue was partly driven by Hizballah's recent public statements that it is negotiating on behalf of the Jordanian prisoners. Privately, MFA officials blamed Israel for the stalemate, saying the Israelis needed to make a "political decision" to conclude a deal. The Israeli Ambassador in Jordan complained that the Jordanians are "holding hostage" a potential meeting with the Israeli foreign minister over the prisoner issue. MFA officials also privately slammed Hizballah for attempting to advocate on behalf of Jordanian citizens, saying there has been absolutely no communication with the group on this matter. They also confirmed that no Palestinian prisoners -- including jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti -- would be included in any Jordanian-Israeli deal. End Summary. -------------- -------------- JORDANIANS SLAM ISRAELIS, HIZBALLAH ON PRISONER ISSUE -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) In a wide ranging press conference October 28, Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said the GOJ had intensified efforts to gain the release of 82 Jordanians currently held in Israeli jails and that he expected the efforts to bear fruit "soon." However, the MFA action officer on this issue, Ashraf Zeitoon, told Poloff that Jordan had refused an Israeli request to meet on the matter unless the Israelis come to the table with a clear mandate from the Prime Minister to cut a deal. Until now, it does not appear that the Israeli foreign minister has this mandate, he said. ¶3. (C) Zeitoon denounced Hizballah's public statements that Jordanian prisoners were included in the prisoner swap it was currently negotiating with Israel (ref b),saying that only the Jordanian government has the right to negotiate on behalf of Jordanian citizens. Muasher's office director Ali al-Ayed reiterated this point to PolCouns, saying that there has been absolutely no communication or cooperation between the GOJ and Hizballah on this matter. Zeitoon also denied that Palestinian prisoners would be included in any Jordanian-Israeli deal, including detained Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti -- saying it was "none of our business." (ref a). -------------- -------------- ISRAELIS COMPLAIN FM MEETING "HELD HOSTAGE" OVER DISPUTE -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) The Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Yacov Handlesman complained to the Ambassador over lunch on October 29 that the Jordanians had effectively cut him out of discussions on the issue because the Jordanians have been dealing directly with Dov Weissglas in PM Sharon's office through the Jordanian Charge in Tel Aviv, Mazen al-Tal. According to Handlesman, Muasher was not pleased with Weissglas's explanation that there are legal restrictions on releasing the prisoners, especially the four longest-held "murderers," as he put it. Handlesman complained that the Jordanians were "holding hostage" a meeting between Muasher and the Israeli FM Shalom over this issue. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) Hizballah's public advocacy on behalf of the Jordanian prisoners put the Jordanians on the spot and probably compelled the GOJ to publicly tout its efforts to gain the prisoners' release. The GOJ, which has stopped just short of conditioning return of its Ambassador to Tel Aviv on the release of the Jordanian prisoners, clearly is frustrated that its behind the scenes discussions with Israel to win the prisoners release have not borne fruit. GNEHM