Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04MANAMA525
2004-04-14 08:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

Tags:  KBCT PREL ETRD ECON BA 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000525 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP,
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY,
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR - JASON BUNTIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2029
TAGS: KBCT PREL ETRD ECON BA
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: SECSTATE 69459

Classified By: Charge de Affaires Robert S. Ford for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000525

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP,
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY,
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR - JASON BUNTIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2029
TAGS: KBCT PREL ETRD ECON BA
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: SECSTATE 69459

Classified By: Charge de Affaires Robert S. Ford for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Congressman Ryan called the Arab League's boycott of
Israel a "Free Trade Agreement (FTA) showstopper" in his
April 7 meetings with parliamentarians, the Minister of
Finance and National Economy and the Minister of State of
Foreign Affairs. Although Ryan praised Bahrain for being the
leader of democratic reform in the region, he expressed his
hope that Bahrain would likewise take a leadership role in
countering the boycott of Israel.


2. (C) As a follow-up to Ryan's presentation, Charge
provided Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdelghaffar
with documentation that demonstrated an increase in boycott
compliance requests from 15 in 2002 to 31 this year on April
12 (reftel). Charge also discussed reftel's tertiary boycott
contract text examples with Minister Abdelghaffar. Bahrain
repealed both secondary and tertiary aspects of the boycott
in 1994 and Abdelghaffar was demonstrably surprised that
boycott compliance requests were still an issue. Charge urged
Abdelghaffar to resolve this serious issue to ensure smooth
passage of the FTA through Congress. Minister Abdelghaffar
promised Charge that he would investigate this issue.


3. (C) We are following up separately with the Minister of
Finance and National Economy, who has pledged separately to
us to resolve the problem cited in the reftel.
FORD