FRENCH CONCERNS OVER ISRAELI OVERFLIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 006787

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS UN LE FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH CONCERNS OVER ISRAELI OVERFLIGHTS

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, Reason 1
.4 B/D


1. (C) French military and civilian contacts have recently
expressed serious concern to us over Israeli overflights over
French UNIFIL forces, most notably the "buzzing" of French
navy vessels off the coast of Lebanon on or about 25
September and on a few occasions since. According to DATT
and MFA contacts, the Israeli planes did not follow proper
IFF procedures. MOD Deputy Diplomatic Advisor Arnaud de
Pellegars said the overflights had been termed as
"provocative," given their excessive closeness to French
vessels. The MOD's Military Cabinet advisor informed the
DATT that Defense Minister Alliot-Marie would seek U.S.
assistance in getting the Israelis to desist from the
overflights in her scheduled October 19 meeting with the
Secretary of Defense.

SIPDIS


2. (C) De Pellegars and MFA Lebanon desk officer Remy
Bouallegue said France had protested the buzzing incidents by
demarching, in conjunction with the Italians, the Israeli
mission to the UN, and by doing a parallel demarche in
Jerusalem. The MFA and the MOD consider the incident closed.
The French military, while viewing Israeli overflights as
dangerous and provocative, is not treating them as hostile
(septel DATT reporting to follow). That said, the MFA
believes the incident underscores the importance of ending
overflights. Bouallegue cited the following arguments:

-- France objects to overflights in principle because they
are a violation of UNSCR 1701.

-- France also objects for political reasons because
overflights weaken the government of PM Siniora, which serves
none of our interests.

-- From a military/strategic point of view, Hizballah no
longer poses an immediate threat to Israel and so there is
little or no military justification for the overflights.

-- Finally, Hizballah may seize upon the overflights as an
excuse for dodging its own responsibilities under UNSCR 1701,
and to make the argument to the Lebanese people that the
international community is weak and that UNIFIL cannot truly
protect Lebanon against Israel.


3. (C) Separately, MFA DAS-equivalent Director for the Levant
Herve Besancenot told us that in addition to the joint French
and Italian demarches, the MFA had convoked the Israeli
ambassador in Paris to stress that the ship-buzzing episode
was unacceptable. The MFA complained to him that the
aircraft had not respected rules of friend/foe
identification. Besancenot said the Israelis responded by
referring the GOF to the IDF. (Comment: While not clarified,
we assume the Israeli Ambassador was referring UNIFIL to its
liaison office with the IDF.) According to Besancenot, the
French nonetheless made it clear to the Israelis that this
event was "not appreciated." Besancenot stressed that from a
legal standpoint, he did not think the Israelis have a leg to
stand on -- the overflights are a clear violation of Lebanese
sovereignty and contrary to UNSCR 1701. However, he
indicated that the French can understand the security
rationale that has traditionally driven Israeli overflights.


4. (C) Besancenot also shared with us two French suggestions
for avoiding further such incidents in the near term:

-- an immediate halt to overflights of Beirut (because sonic
booms cause destruction, get the population stirred up, and
weaken the Siniora); and,

-- the United States could provide satellite imagery to
supplement Israeli intelligence, thereby obviating the need
for overflights.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON