ISRAELI EMBASSY ON STATUS OF RELATIONS WITH EGYPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005031 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ECON MEPN KPAL EG IS LE SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY ON STATUS OF RELATIONS WITH EGYPT Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Israeli Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Israel Tikochinski called on the DCM August 13 to discuss the status of Israel-Egypt relations. The GOI is pleased overall, he reported, with the GOE's bilateral response to the recent crises in Gaza and Lebanon. Nevertheless, according to Tikochinski, Egypt had taken steps to register official upset over civilian deaths in Lebanon: suspension of activities of GOE-GOI working groups on tourism and agriculture. Egypt's actions had not been widely publicized, nor would they have significant short-term economic impact, Tikochinski said. ¶2. (C) Regarding the agriculture talks, Tikochinski noted that the bilateral agriculture committee coordinated the issue of palm frond exports from Egypt to Israel. The Egyptian side, he said, had recently provided assurances that despite suspension of the working group's activities, Egypt would permit export of 500,000 palm fronds to Israel in time for the Jewish holiday of Succot in September (Note: Egypt is the primary source of palm fronds for Succot to Israel). ¶3. (C) Tikochinski said Egypt had also postponed bilateral consultations with Israel on Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) scheduled for later this month. No new date, he added, had been determined, despite efforts by Israel's Trade Ministry to formally reschedule the talks. Tikochinski also complained about Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit's public statements on Lebanon in which he called for immediate cease-fire and failed to name Hizbollah as the instigator of the Lebanon crisis. RICCIARDONE