Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JERUSALEM1420
2006-04-06 07:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

MOST DONORS STILL AWAITING GUIDANCE ON CONTACTS

Tags:  EAID PREL KWBG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #1420/01 0960749
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 060749Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1427
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001420 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/GREENE/WATERS/WAECHTER; NSC FOR DORAN/LOGERFO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016
TAGS: EAID PREL KWBG
SUBJECT: MOST DONORS STILL AWAITING GUIDANCE ON CONTACTS
WITH NEW PA GOVERNMENT AND ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES

REF: JERUSALEM 1318

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001420

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/GREENE/WATERS/WAECHTER; NSC FOR DORAN/LOGERFO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016
TAGS: EAID PREL KWBG
SUBJECT: MOST DONORS STILL AWAITING GUIDANCE ON CONTACTS
WITH NEW PA GOVERNMENT AND ASSISTANCE STRATEGIES

REF: JERUSALEM 1318

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Donors participating in a donor-only Local
Development Forum (LDF) meeting April 5 outlined their
contact policy and assistance strategies in response to the
new Palestinian Authority (PA) government. Most donors said
they had received no specific guidelines from their
governments, while some donors said they would continue to
have limited contact at a technical, non-ministerial level.
Only the Swiss representative admitted there would be no
change in their policy. End Summary.


2. (C) Australia -- The Australian representative said that
while he had not yet received any instructions from Canberra,
Australian assistance programs did not require any
interaction with the PA. He said his mission planned to
exercise caution in any interaction with the PA and minimize
contact, if needed, to the lowest level.


3. (C) Austria -- The Austrian representative/EU Presidency
representative also said that no directives had been received
and that all projects had been completed before the
elections. While there were a few projects in the pipeline,
the Austrian government would take a "wait and see" approach.
He suggested that contacts with non-Hamas PA officials would
be allowed at the mid-level.


4. (C) Canada -- The Canadian representative said Canada
would maintain aid levels, but it would not provide any
direct assistance to the PA. Canada's Special Coordinator
for the Middle East Peace Process Jill Sinclair said there
was no flexibility on the no-contact policy with Hamas, as
Hamas is clearly listed as a foreign terrorist organization
in Canadian law. However, the Canadians would work through
NGOs, civil society organizations, and the President's
office. Its officials would interact only with non-Hamas
technocrats below the ministerial level.


5. (C) The European Commission -- Counselor Raffaella Iodice
de Wolff said the EC was awaiting instructions from the April
10 EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels before

proceeding. In the interim, she said they were refraining
from contact at any level.


6. (C) Finland -- The Finnish representative said that,
until an EU policy is articulated, Finland would continue
contacts with the PA at the technical level, including
technical assistance to a teacher training program with the
Education Ministry.


7. (C) Ireland -- The Irish Representative noted that his
government is looking to the EU for guidance, but noted that
strict guidelines may not be forthcoming if European
countries decide that there is not a one-size-fits all
approach.


8. (C) Italy -- The representative said he had received no
firm instructions, and they are continuing activities and
meetings at a technical level.


9. (C) Japan -- The Japanese representative said his
government had not sent any formal instructions. In the
absence of a new policy, the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) is still continuing its program of assistance,
although the Japanese government had suspended all budget
support to the PA, he said.


10. (C) Netherlands -- The Dutch representative said that
his government was also waiting for the April 10 European
Foreign Ministers meeting. Until a policy is set, he said
they had been instructed not to have any contact with the PA.



11. (C) Norway -- Representative Sten Arne Rosnes noted that
Norway is not bound by the European list of terrorist
organizations, only by the UN list. However, he noted a
Norwegian contact policy had not been finalized.


12. (C) Switzerland -- The Swiss representative said his
government had not imposed any restrictions on contact and
would continue to have contact with the PA at both the
technical and political levels.


13. (C) United Kingdom -- The representative from the
British Consulate said the UK would have no contact with

Hamas but is still waiting for a decision on contact with
officials below the ministerial level. In any case, the U.K.
had decided not to provide direct budget support, or
technical assistance, to the new PA government.


14. (C) United Nations -- UNSCO Assistance Coordinator Alex
Costy said that this is not "business as usual" but that the
UN agencies delivering humanitarian assistance required some
level of contact on the ground with the PA. Costy stressed
that the UN agencies would ensure that these contacts were
confined to the technical level and based on need.

15. (C) The World Bank -- Country Director David Craig said
that World Bank headquarters had accepted the need for
working-level contacts for projects and analytical activities
but that a final contact policy had not yet been formalized.
Craig said the World Bank would start new projects on a
case-by-case basis with the first one on Avian Influenza (AI).
WALLES