(S) ISRAELI READOUT ON MUBARAK-MOFAZ MEETING IN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001457

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2015
TAGS: IS KPAL PREL XF GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: (S) ISRAELI READOUT ON MUBARAK-MOFAZ MEETING IN
SHARM EL-SHEIK


Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S) BG Eitan Dangott, Military Secretary of Defense
Minister Mofaz, briefed the Ambassador March 11 on the
meeting held the previous day in Sharm between Mofaz and
Egyptian President Mubarak, with the participation of Defense
Minister Tantawi and Intelligence Chief Sulayman. Dangott
said the atmosphere and substance of the extended meetings
were excellent, and progress was achieved on all issues.

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Palestinian Issues
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2. (S) Dangott said that Mofaz briefed Mubarak on the
responsibility of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ),based in
Damascus, for the February 25 terror attack in Tel Aviv.
Mofaz also told Mubarak that PIJ has been trying incessantly
to organize additional acts of terrorism. In the last 24
hours, Israeli security forces rounded up a group of 8 PIJ
terrorists who were in the final planning phase of a suicide
bombing.


3. (S) Mofaz also briefed Mubarak on the steps Israel is
taking to ease Palestinian living conditions and fulfill the
understandings reached at the Sharm el-Sheik summit. For
example, the number of Palestinian workers entering Israel
has been increasing almost daily and has almost reached the
target of 35,000 per day. In response to specific requests
from President Abbas, Mofaz had agreed to release a
significant number of Palestinian vehicles, to expand the
list of VIP travel, to increase the number of businessmen who
can travel daily to Israel, and to give priority to family
reunification issues between Gaza and the West Bank. The
prisoners committee will meet on Monday to start working on
the next release of 400 prisoners. And Mofaz had agreed that
41 of the 49 Palestinians deported from Bethlehem to Gaza
after the Church of the Nativity takeover would be permitted
to return to Bethlehem. Dangott noted that Abbas was unhappy
that 8 of the deportees would not be permitted to return, but
Mofaz had told Abbas that these 8 had "blood on their hands"
and would not be permitted to go to Bethlehem at this time.


4. (S) Dangott said Mofaz had also brought Mubarak up to
date on the status of the Palestinian-Israeli security
negotiations (septel). Mofaz asked Mubarak's help in
persuading Abbas to authorize his negotiators to conclude a
deal soon on the transfer of security in Jericho and Tulkarm.

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Egypt-Israel Issues
--------------


5. (S) Dangott said Mofaz and Mubarak had "solved" all the
problems related to the deployment of 750 Egyptian border
guards to the Egypt-Gaza border. Military teams would meet
over the next few weeks to work up a detailed agreement,
which would be signed by generals from the two sides.
Dangott specified that all of the issues on which the two
sides had previously been divided were now agreed, including
the type of arms and vehicles, the method for bilateral
evaluation of the deployment, and the authorization of
commanders in the field to liaise and coordinate directly.


6. (S) Mofaz raised the need for Egypt to deal
comprehensively with the issue of smuggling into Gaza by
stemming the flow of weapons even before they reach the Gaza
border. Mubarak said that weapons smuggling is a threat to
him and the Egyptian regime and said that both Israel and
Egypt need to do a better job in confronting this problem.
Mofaz also briefed Mubarak on the issue of tunnels under the
Philadelphi strip. Dangott said that Mubarak appeared
unaware of the magnitude and sophistication of the tunnel
problem. Mofaz also provided to Tantawi the name of the
person the Israelis believe is one of the master smugglers in
Sinai.


7. (S) Dangott said that substantial progress was also
registered on a number of military-military issues, including:

-- Mubarak agreed on cooperation between the Egyptian and
Israeli military on terrorism, specifically relating to
intelligence sharing on terrorism matters.

-- Mubarak agreed that Egypt and Israel should plan and hold
a search and rescue exercise relating to humanitarian issues.
Dangott said the impetus for this was the uncoordinated
response to the terror attack in Taba.

-- Mubarak reportedly said that air and sea cooperation could
improve over time, but he said he needed first to "prepare"
the Egyptian population.

-- A hotline will be established between the two Ministies of
Defense.
-- Egypt has agreed to facilitate additional searches for
Israeli missing in action in Sinai and Egypt.


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