FINAL MEETING WITH ISRAELI TRADE REP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 001609

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV IS QA
SUBJECT: FINAL MEETING WITH ISRAELI TRADE REP


Classified By: Scott McGehee, CDA for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Dov Segev-Steinberg, Israeli trade
representative, shared his views on a range of issues with
Poloff in a final meeting before his departure from Qatar the
last week of September. While the trade representative did
not foresee any change in Qatar-Israeli relations and the
current low profile status of his office in Qatar, he was
encouraged by the words of Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al
Thani, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of
Qatar, to the Israeli Foreign Minister on the sidelines of
the recent UNGA meeting. Segev-Steinberg also speculated that
the Emir's daughter with Sheikha Mozah is being groomed to
replace the current Foreign Minister. End Summary.

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Backstage at UNGA
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2. (C) Israeli Trade Representative Dov Segev-Steinberg
expressed muted optimism on the prospects for improved
Qatari-Israeli relations. Segev-Steinberg cited the comments
of Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al
Thani at a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan
Shalom on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting. During the
meeting the Qatari Foreign Minister praised the Israeli
pull-out from Gaza and said that Qatar would consider opening
diplomatic ties with Israel ahead of the establishment of a
Palestinian State. However, the Qatari Foreign Minister
stated that the Gaza pull-out was only a first step and that
Israel had to continue with the West Bank. The Qatari Foreign
Minister also stated that Arab countries should respond to
the Israeli withdrawal by talking with Israel.


3. (C)Segev-Steinberg also touched upon the Qatari Foreign
Minister's 14 September speech at the Council of Foreign
Relations in which Al Thani called on the Arab countries to
"make a step" toward Israel through an international meeting
between the Arab States, Israel and the United States.
Segev-Steinberg noted that Qatar is the only Arab country
that has publicly supported the Israeli pull-out of Gaza and
pushed for engaging with Israel. Qatar has been keen to play
an increased role in mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict. He
viewed these comments as positive and indicative of Qatar's
efforts in that regard. When asked whether the speech would
change the current status of the Israeli Trade mission in
Qatar, Segev-Steinberg was more pragmatic. He did not
anticipate any substantive difference in bilateral
Qatari-Israeli relations. He observed that while some of the
top leadership in Qatar may want acceptance of Israeli
presence in Qatar and the region, they had to balance these
desires with internal push-pull factors and could not risk
undermining their own positions given the controversial
nature of this issue. And it is probably for those very
reasons, suggested Segev-Steinberg, that there was no mention
of Al Thani's speech and comments in the Qatari press--unlike
in Israel--where the foreign minister's speech and comments
were carried in the papers.

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Wither the Israeli Trade Office?
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4. (C) Segev-Steinberg, who has been in Doha for two years,
departs at the end of September and returns to Israel for a
temporary position as the head of the Asian department at the
MFA. Segev-Steinberg hopes to be permanently assigned as head
of the Egyptian department sometime in January of next year.
According to Segev-Steinberg, the Israeli MFA is in disarray
as a result of some controversial political appointments.
With new regulations pending to introduce more transparency
in the assignment process, many positions have yet to be
assigned. Also affected is the position of Israeli trade
representative to Qatar. Segev-Steinberg revealed that this
position would not be permanently filled for a while due to
the changes taking places at the MFA and also due to a lack
of interest on the part of Israeli diplomats to come to
Qatar. Rather, Israeli officers will rotate monthly to the
trade office until someone is permanently assigned. The first
to rotate in October will be Margalit Geva, currently
director of the Gulf States Department.

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On Internal Qatari Politics.....
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5. (C) Commenting on internal Qatari politics,
Segev-Steinberg observed that recent pictures of the Emir's
wife Sheikha Mozah in New York with a dagger -a symbol of
power- at her waist were noteworthy and appeared to be
sending a message of the Sheikha's increasing power.
Segev-Steinberg noted that the Sheikha was also photographed
similarly during a recent visit to Rome. Segev-Steinberg also
weighed in on possible changes to come within the Qatari
government. Segev-Steinberg opined that recent pictures
showing the Emir and his daughter (with Sheikha Mozah) at
UNGA may point to future changes at the MFA. The pictures
were noteworthy in that the daughter, Sheikha Myassa, was at
the Emir's side and often preceded the Foreign Minister,
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani. Sheikha Myassa was
photographed taking notes throughout the UNGA meetings and
speaking with various heads of states. Segev-Steinberg
speculated that the Foreign Minister may slowly be pushed out
of his position and be replaced by Sheikha Myassa.


6. (C) Should that occur, Segev-Steinberg believed that it
might lead to some internal conflicts within the ruling
family. The Foreign Minister is uncle to the Emir and would
not readily accept this loss of power. Overall,
Segev-Steinberg viewed these developments as an attempt by
the Emir to "put things in place" given his ailing health and
kidney problems. Further, Segev-Steinberg believed that the
Emir would prefer to step down before forced to do so for
health reasons. Thus, pushing his children, who support his
long-term visions for Qatar into key government positions,
would allow him to do so while at the same time consolidate
and maintain power.
MCGEHEE