Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AMMAN4768
2006-06-27 12:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
NEW JORDANIAN AMBASSADORS TO ISRAEL AND LEBANON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAM #4768 1781247 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271247Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 2434 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0048 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1765 INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2468 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 3962
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004768
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IS JO LE
SUBJECT: NEW JORDANIAN AMBASSADORS TO ISRAEL AND LEBANON
Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
GOJ'S AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL
---------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004768
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IS JO LE
SUBJECT: NEW JORDANIAN AMBASSADORS TO ISRAEL AND LEBANON
Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
GOJ'S AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL
--------------
1. (U) Jordan's new Ambassador to Israel is career diplomat
Ali Al-Ayed, most recently the chief political advisor to
Prime Minister Bakhit. A charge d,affaires has run the
Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv since August 2005. Al-Ayed is
to arrive in Israel June 27.
2. (U) PM Bakhit (himself, a former Jordanian ambassador to
Israel) promoted Al-Ayed to the political advisor job in
February 2006; he had served Bakhit since December 2005 as
press coordinator. Al-Ayed served as DCM at the Israeli
Embassy in Tel Aviv from late 2004 to November 2005, and for
most of that time was Charge d,affaires Before that,
Al-Ayed was director of then-Foreign Minister Marwan
Muasher's private office; when Muasher became Deputy Prime
Minister, Al-Ayed followed him to a posting as Muasher's
senior aide. Al-Ayed also served at Jordan's Embassy in
Washington, D.C.
3. (C) Al-Ayed (a Muslim East Banker) and his British wife
have one son and one daughter, both of whom are teenagers.
He is personally liberal and cosmopolitan, though he recently
admitted to polcouns that he has advocated within the GOJ for
a "go-slow" approach to political liberalization in Jordan,
out of fear that quick democratization would destabilize the
country. Al-Ayed is frank, engaging, accessible to American
government officials, very positively inclined to the U.S.,
and speaks English fluently.
GOJ'S AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON
--------------
4. (U) The GOJ has recently announced that career diplomat
Ziad Khazer al-Majali will serve as its new Ambassador to
Lebanon. A Muslim East Banker, Majali was born in Amman in
1952 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the
University of Jordan, as well as a postgraduate diploma in
political science in Cairo. Majali has been posted at
Jordanian diplomatic missions in Belgrade, Cairo and
Washington, D.C. He was head of Jordan's Representative
Office in Gaza from 1995-99, and served as the Jordanian
Ambassador to South Africa from 2000 until 2005, when he
returned to Amman to head the Foreign Ministry's Human Rights
Directorate.
5. (C) Majali is married with four children - two daughters
and two sons. He speaks English fluently. Post has found
Majali to be personable, well informed and talkative. He
recalls his time in Washington fondly, and has been both
candid and helpful in discussing human rights issues with
emboffs. Majali very recently participated in two
PA-sponsored digital video conferences at post, one on the UN
Human Rights Council and the other on trafficking in persons.
While somewhat defensive of the GOJ's record on both
subjects, he was nevertheless open-minded and willing to
listen to critical views.
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/
Rubinstein
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IS JO LE
SUBJECT: NEW JORDANIAN AMBASSADORS TO ISRAEL AND LEBANON
Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
GOJ'S AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL
--------------
1. (U) Jordan's new Ambassador to Israel is career diplomat
Ali Al-Ayed, most recently the chief political advisor to
Prime Minister Bakhit. A charge d,affaires has run the
Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv since August 2005. Al-Ayed is
to arrive in Israel June 27.
2. (U) PM Bakhit (himself, a former Jordanian ambassador to
Israel) promoted Al-Ayed to the political advisor job in
February 2006; he had served Bakhit since December 2005 as
press coordinator. Al-Ayed served as DCM at the Israeli
Embassy in Tel Aviv from late 2004 to November 2005, and for
most of that time was Charge d,affaires Before that,
Al-Ayed was director of then-Foreign Minister Marwan
Muasher's private office; when Muasher became Deputy Prime
Minister, Al-Ayed followed him to a posting as Muasher's
senior aide. Al-Ayed also served at Jordan's Embassy in
Washington, D.C.
3. (C) Al-Ayed (a Muslim East Banker) and his British wife
have one son and one daughter, both of whom are teenagers.
He is personally liberal and cosmopolitan, though he recently
admitted to polcouns that he has advocated within the GOJ for
a "go-slow" approach to political liberalization in Jordan,
out of fear that quick democratization would destabilize the
country. Al-Ayed is frank, engaging, accessible to American
government officials, very positively inclined to the U.S.,
and speaks English fluently.
GOJ'S AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON
--------------
4. (U) The GOJ has recently announced that career diplomat
Ziad Khazer al-Majali will serve as its new Ambassador to
Lebanon. A Muslim East Banker, Majali was born in Amman in
1952 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the
University of Jordan, as well as a postgraduate diploma in
political science in Cairo. Majali has been posted at
Jordanian diplomatic missions in Belgrade, Cairo and
Washington, D.C. He was head of Jordan's Representative
Office in Gaza from 1995-99, and served as the Jordanian
Ambassador to South Africa from 2000 until 2005, when he
returned to Amman to head the Foreign Ministry's Human Rights
Directorate.
5. (C) Majali is married with four children - two daughters
and two sons. He speaks English fluently. Post has found
Majali to be personable, well informed and talkative. He
recalls his time in Washington fondly, and has been both
candid and helpful in discussing human rights issues with
emboffs. Majali very recently participated in two
PA-sponsored digital video conferences at post, one on the UN
Human Rights Council and the other on trafficking in persons.
While somewhat defensive of the GOJ's record on both
subjects, he was nevertheless open-minded and willing to
listen to critical views.
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/
Rubinstein