GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: ATTORNEY GENERAL MAZUZ

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004207

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015
TAGS: PGOV KWBG EG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT GOI EXTERNAL GOI INTERNAL
SUBJECT: GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: ATTORNEY GENERAL MAZUZ
INDICATES KNESSET WILL NOT NEED TO APPROVE EGYPTIAN BORDER
DEPLOYMENT

REF: A. TEL AVIV 4118


B. TEL AVIV 4194

Classified By: by Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d),


1. (C) Attorney General Menachem Mazuz told Ministry of
Justice Liaison to the Knesset Paz Barnett July 5 to convey
directly to Poloff who was waiting in the adjoining office
that he is about to announce his decision that an agreement
between Israel and Egypt allowing Egypt to place some 750
border police on the Gaza-Egypt border would only require
Cabinet approval, and not the approval of the Knesset (ref
A). Mazuz added that he already received a letter from
Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Likud MK Yuval Steinitz's private attorney objecting to this
decision and indicating Steinitz would seek legal action
against it. Barnett said that this means Steinitz would
appeal Mazuz's decision to the High Court. Senior Advisor to
Prime Minister Sharon Dov Weissglas previously told the
Ambassador July 4 that he believed that a Ha'aretz report
that same day stating that Mazuz "is expected to advise that
(the agreement) not be presented to the Knesset for its
approval" is accurate, although Mazuz has not formally
announced his decision (ref B).


2. (C) The Knesset held a discussion July 5 on allowing
Egypt to place border police on the Gaza-Egyptian border in
anticipation of Mazuz's decision and media reports that
negotiations between the GOI and GOE on an agreement were
nearing a conclusion. Likud MK Michael Eitan, Chairperson of
the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee agreed
with Steinitz that any deployment agreement with Egypt was a
material change to the 1973 Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty,
thus requiring Knesset approval. Eitan reportedly is
attempting to formulate a Knesset position on the anticipated
agreement with Egypt.

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