TFLE01: ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF LEBANON INCREASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001414

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC PTER BA REGION POL
SUBJECT: TFLE01: ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF LEBANON INCREASE

REF: MANAMA 1391

Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (U) King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa reiterated July 31 his
call for an immediate cease-fire and reaffirmed Bahrain's
support for the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people.
Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa issued a
similar statement August 1. Demonstrations and fund-raising
activities are ongoing with tacit approval of the GOB. Media
commentary is increasingly critical of Arab governments'
inaction. End summary.


2. (U) Reaffirming his call for an immediate cease-fire,
King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a statement of support
for the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people on July

31. He said that Lebanon must retain its sovereignty over
all its land, and peace and stability must be restored. He
also stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the
dispute. Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa
repeated his support August 1 for Lebanon and called for a
cease-fire to protect the lives of innocent civilians.


3. (C) Bahrainis in general continue to voice their support
for Lebanon and for Hizballah's resistance to Israeli
military action. The August 2-4 Lebanon "festival" (reftel),
entitled "I'm at your service, oh resistance," has been
publicized prominently. Banners, billboards, and newspaper
advertisements, depicting an armed fighter running into
battle on a background of Lebanese and Hizballah flags, have
become more visible throughout the week. Relatively young
Shia cleric and Al Wifaq member Mohamed Al Ghuraifi,
reportedly in charge of the event, stressed that the festival
is intended for all segments of Bahraini society, including
expatriates, not just for Shia or for members of Al Wifaq.

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To Demonstrate, Or Not
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4. (U) Chat room Multaqa Al Bahrain (Bahrain Online)
announced that the Interior Ministry had denied a request to
demonstrate August 3 submitted by residents of Sanabis
village. The reason given for the denial was the 7:00 p.m.
post-sunset start time, since according to Bahrain's law of
assembly, demonstrations are not permitted before sunrise or
after sunset. Sanabis is near the commercial Seef area where
popular shopping malls and the International Exhibition
Center are located.


5. (C) The drumbeat of criticism condemning inactive Arab
regimes continues to be audible, as well as criticism of the
U.S. and the U.K. Akhbar Al Khaleej columnists Hafed Al
Shaikh and Mohamed Al Shehabi similarly wrote August 2 that
"illegitimate, traitorous Arab regimes" will be overthrown by
their people eventually as a result of their silence about
the "massacres by the Zionist Enemy in Lebanon." (Note:
This anti-Arab government statement is more commonly heard
among the public here and there are indications from chat
rooms that an as yet unconfirmed march on the Saudi Embassy
may take place Friday, August 4. There have also been rumors
of a protest at the British Embassy this weekend. Both
embassies face more of a security challenge than the U.S.
Embassy due to their location in congested areas of downtown
Manama. End note.) Calls for demonstrations at the U.S.
Embassy continue to be seen in chat rooms, but indications
are that some political activists and Shia clerics are
against the suggestion, not wanting to antagonize GOB
authorities.

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BCCI Suggests Charity Concert
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6. (U) Bahrain Television and Radio Corporation management
rejected a request by its staff for a live television
broadcast to express solidarity with the Lebanese people and
the Lebanese resistance. However, GOB-supported Bahrain
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has received approval
to hold a charity concert August 7 at the Gulf Hotel
International Convention Center. BCCI Committee to Support
the Lebanese People chairman and prominent Shia businessman
Jawad Al Hawaj praised the Ministry of Information for its
quick approval to broadcast the event live on Bahrain TV.

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Comment


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7. (C) The efforts to support the Lebanese people and
Hizballah continue unabated and have become more varied and
creative, yet remain to date controlled. There is some
indication that leading political societies, such as Al
Wifaq, are concerned that if things get out of hand, the GOB
may use the unrest as an excuse to tighten control in the
lead-up to this fall's parliamentary and municipal elections.
Political societies, civil society groups, business groups,
and grassroots village movements have all joined in to raise
financial support for Lebanon. Although neither the Palace
nor the GOB have yet announced any direct financial aid to
Lebanon, their tacit approval, if not open encouragement, of
Bahraini citizens' efforts is clear.


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ZIADEH