Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1066
2006-03-16 18:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

GIDEON EZRA DISCUSSES AMONA COMMITTEE,

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 001066 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV SENV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GIDEON EZRA DISCUSSES AMONA COMMITTEE,
POST-ELECTION DISENGAGEMENT, E-1, AND ENVIRONMENT WITH
AMBASSADOR

REF: A. JERUSALEM 01077


B. EMAIL FROM JOHN FIELD (OES) TO BOB TANSEY/ANDY
ABELL/RUTHANNA RUFFER

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 001066

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV SENV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GIDEON EZRA DISCUSSES AMONA COMMITTEE,
POST-ELECTION DISENGAGEMENT, E-1, AND ENVIRONMENT WITH
AMBASSADOR

REF: A. JERUSALEM 01077


B. EMAIL FROM JOHN FIELD (OES) TO BOB TANSEY/ANDY
ABELL/RUTHANNA RUFFER

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra told
the Ambassador on March 14 that the Israeli National Police
(INP) knew it would encounter significant resistance during
the demolitions of Amona, but that the operation had to be
implemented regardless because the High Court made a
decision. He said that the INP and IDF are conducting a post
mortem of the operation, but that they have not drawn any
conclusions yet. Ezra became visibly tense at the mention of
the Knesset inquiry into Amona, and argued that the focus
should be to "target" those who attacked the police, not the
security forces themselves. He explained that the police are
suffering from low morale because it is "blamed every day
about not doing something or doing too much." With respect
to Kadima's post-election strategy, Ezra said that the GOI
would give Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas
a "chance to prove something," but that Hamas must adhere to
the three Quartet pre-conditions before Israel would deal
with it. If this does not happen, the GOI will unilaterally
evacuate from settlements east of the separation barrier, and
maintain an IDF presence in the West Bank until final status
talks. Ezra claimed that the President's April 14 letter had
acknowledged that Ma'ale Adumim and E-1 would remain in
Israeli hands, adding that the GOI had always intended to
build E-1, but had been temporarily prevented from doing so
by the recently concluded court cases. He denied that the
move was in any way connected to the ongoing election
campaign. The Ambassador reminded him of U.S. policy that
any border adjustments be "mutually agreed" with the PA and
of U.S. concerns about construction in E-1.


2. (C) Summary continued: Ezra described the incident of an
Israeli family setting off firecrackers in the Church of the
Annunciation in Nazareth on March 3 as an isolated case, and

said that the GOI's relations with Christians in northern
Israel are good. Ezra then gave various officials from the
INP the opportunity to describe the GOI's good working
relations with Embassy officers, the DEA, and the Secret
Service.


3. (C) Switching to environmental issues (Ezra is also
environment minister),Dr. Miriam Haran, the Environment
Ministry's director general, also expressed her appreciation
for a recent visit by U.S. EPA officials to provide technical
advice and expertise for the Ramat Hovav industrial and
hazardous waste disposal site in the Negev. She said the GOI
and EPA are cooperating on an air pollution study. The
Ambassador delivered demarche points on the International
Whaling Commission, and Haran replied that although whaling
is not an environmental issue in Israel, she would discuss it
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4. (C) Ezra asked about the need for a travel warning, and
the Ambassador explained our "no-double standard" policy with
respect to warnings to Embassy staff and other U.S. citizens.
Ezra also asked for the release of Jonathan Pollard, and
suggested the GOI could release Palestinians prisoners if "we
get Pollard." End summary.

--------------
Police Perspective on Amona Demolitions
--------------


5. (C) The Ambassador on March 14 asked Public Security
Minister Gideon Ezra, who is also environment minister, what
the GOI, and particularly the Israeli National Police (INP),
learned from the demolitions of the nine permanent houses in
Amona outpost on February 1. Ezra responded that the police
are undertaking a study with the IDF to see how to improve
INP procedures, but that they have not drawn any conclusions
yet. He said, however, that the INP knows that with enough
forces and an agreement with the settlers, it can avoid
clashes on other operations, and cited the agreement reached
on the Hebron market as an example. He noted that the INP
knew it would not be easy to demolish the houses and confront
the settlers, but that the High Court made a decision to
carry out the demolitions, and the operation had to be
implemented. He claimed that the GOI could not reach an
agreement with the settlers for them to destroy the houses
themselves despite doing "everything possible to speak to
them," so the police had to go in.


6. (C) Ezra asserted that the GOI knew people in Amona would
resist the demolitions to show that they would not go as
easily as Gaza Disengagement. He said that approximately
4,500 people were present at the outpost, and that in the
end, over 200 people were injured. He reported that some
police are still off duty recovering from their injuries. He
commented that he did not know how future evacuations or
demolitions would go, but said that High Court decisions
would be implemented regardless.

--------------
Knesset Inquiry Causes Low Police Morale
--------------


7. (C) The Ambassador asked about the Knesset committee set
up to study the demolitions at Amona. Ezra became visibly
tense, and argued that some of the members of the committee
are MKs who fought the police on the day of the demolitions
-- Effi Eitam, Arieh Eldad, and Uri Ariel. Ezra claimed that
he and the defense minister have a right to go to the
committee in place of the police and soldiers, and he said he
took advantage of this right because he feels the "target"
should be those who fought against the security forces, not
the forces themselves. He commented that at least three
police officers' private cars have been burned or attacked
since the demolitions, but concluded nevertheless that the
GOI should "speak to settlers all the time" if it plans to
carry out further evacuations. Ezra's chief of staff said
that the level of force used during the demolitions was in
accordance with the violence that was used.


8. (C) Ezra also remarked that he was in a difficult
position, because by being forced to defend the police
against complaints of violence from settlers who attacked his
officers, it could make the police afraid to use force in the
future. He explained that in Israel, the INP is "blamed
every day about not doing something or doing too much," and,
as a result, policemen are losing their "pride." The
Ambassador agreed that Ezra should do his best to protect his
police officers because a democratic country must follow the
rule of law, and the police are in charge of enforcing court
verdicts. He explained that to protect democracy, the police
must feel empowered or they will lose force. Ezra agreed,
and said that Alternate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would
visit the police the following day to boost their spirits.

--------------
Kadima's Post-Election Strategy On
Settlements and Separation Barrier
--------------


9. (C) The Ambassador asked about Kadima's intentions after
the election, and Ezra replied that Kadima will try to
negotiate with anyone who will be ready, according to the
agreements the GOI has made with the U.S. and the Palestinian
Authority (PA). He said Kadima would give PA President
Mahmud Abbas a "chance to prove something," but emphasized
that if he does not and Hamas does not agree with the
Quartet's three pre-conditions, then Israel would "do
something else," implying further unilateral evacuations.
Ezra remarked, however, that unilateral evacuations from the
West Bank would be different than those of Gaza Disengagement
because "not one soldier was left" in Gaza after
disengagement. In the West Bank, even if some settlements
were evacuated, the IDF would remain in charge until an
agreement was reached with the PA on final status, according
to Ezra. He noted that at the end of the day, however, the
most important thing is for Israel to be a Jewish and
democratic state, and that it does not want to have control
over the lives of thousands of Palestinians.


10. (C) The Ambassador asked what exactly defines a
settlement bloc, given that there is a significant difference
between the existing built-up areas of settlements and their
GOI-approved municipal boundaries. Rani Falk, the ministry's
director general, responded that it changes every day because
sections of the separation barrier are not built yet and many
areas are still under discussion in the High Court. The
Ambassador asked whether construction of the barrier would be
accelerated as GOI statements have claimed, and Falk
responded that the GOI would have to follow High Court
rulings.

--------------
Police Station in E-1
--------------


11. (C) The Ambassador noted press reports that construction
had started on the police district headquarters in the E-1
extension of Ma'ale Adumim (ref A). Ezra's chief of staff
defended the project by saying that the approval process had
continued throughout Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's term in
office, and that it had been successfully defended by the
State in the High Court. He characterized the project as a
"natural development," and said that the police "really (had)
to move" to a proper headquarters. He estimated that the new
building would house a few hundred employees. Falk agreed
that the station had gone through the proper process, and
said that the High Court had issued its decision a few weeks
ago. Ezra claimed that the President's April 14 letter had
acknowledged that Ma'ale Adumim and E-1 would remain in
Israeli hands, adding that the GOI had always intended to
build E-1, but had been temporarily prevented from doing so
by the recently concluded court cases. He denied that the
move was in any way connected to the ongoing election
campaign. He also emphasized that Ma'ale Adumim is very
important for Israel, and that E-1 is necessary to connect
Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem. Ezra added (erroneously),"We
understand your concern is the eastern border of Ma'ale
Adumim," suggesting that the USG's problem with the Ma'ale
Adumim bloc is its reach to the east, and not the
construction of E-1 itself. The Ambassador responded that
the President's letter had stressed that any changes to
borders to account for existing population centers would only
take place by "mutual agreement" with the PA. The Ambassador
emphasized that this was one reason why defining settlement
"blocs" was so important. Ezra noted that "no one was living
there before except the Bedouin," so the construction of
Ma'ale Adumim should not be a problem. The Ambassador
replied that the main concern was the impact expansion of
Ma'ale Adumim and construction in E-1 would have on the
contiguity of a Palestinian state and the north-south
transportation of Palestinians in the West Bank. Ezra said,
without elaborating, that an important tunnel road would be
built for Palestinians in East Jerusalem. He concluded that,
"we'll separate, and it will be good for them and good for
us."

--------------
Nazareth Incident
--------------


12. (C) The Ambassador asked for Ezra's assessment of the
events that took place on March 3 at the Church of the
Annunciation, in which an Israeli family set off firecrackers
in the Church. Ezra responded that he thinks it will be an
isolated incident, and that the GOI has good relations with
Christians in northern Israel. He said that the Christian
Society of Nazareth and the Bishop of Haifa helped calm the
situation, and that generally relations with Israeli Arabs
are good. Ezra cited as an example a recent soccer game
between Beitar Jerusalem and the only Arab team in the
league. He said that he had ordered the police to secure the
game in case riots broke out, but noted that "nothing
happened even though the Arab team lost" on its home turf.

--------------
GOI Appreciates USG Security Cooperation
--------------


13. (C) Falk told the Ambassador that eight months ago, a
delegation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had
been in Israel to develop joint working groups on security
matters. He said that Hurricane Katrina had impeded the U.S.
officials from returning to Israel, but noted that on March 4
he received word from the Israeli Embassy in Washington that
the groups would be re-started. Falk said that the groups
would be busy and have good working relations. Ezra then
thanked the Ambassador for the USG's cooperation on the
extradition of Ze'ev Rosenstein. Commander Irit Bouton, head
of the Special Operations Division of the INP's Intelligence
Department, praised the good relations the INP has with
Federal Bureau of Investigation officials at post, the Drug
Enforcement Agency representative at the U.S. Embassy in
Nicosia, Cyprus, and the U.S. Secret Service agent in Rome,
who provides the INP with expertise on anti-money laundering
and anti-counterfeiting methods.

--------------
Ramat Hovav Chemical Plant
--------------


14. (C) Dr. Miriam Haran, director general of the
environment ministry, told the Ambassador that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came to Israel in
December 2005 to provide advice and suggestions toward
sustainable solutions for the Ramat Hovav industrial and
hazardous waste disposal site in the Negev. She
characterized it as a good visit, and said that the Ministry
of Environment (MOE) is interested in further cooperation,
training, and cleaning of chemicals, particularly asbestos.
She said this type of cooperation with the USG is especially
important for Negev development. Haran said that the EPA had
helped the MOE decide on a solution for wastewater treatment,
explaining that the options before had been either transfer
to the sea or evaporation. She remarked that evaporation is
very expensive, but that the EPA and a private environmental
consulting firm from Holland had recommended the use of ponds
if industry is forced by regulation to clean their waste to
the standards allowed for chemical discharge into rivers.
She said the pond project would cost NIS 230 million, and
assured the Ambassador that U.S. companies would be able to
compete in the bids. The Ambassador asked what type of
chemicals the Ramat Hovav plant processes, and Haran
responded that they are pesticides and other chemical
components such as bromine. She said there are thousands of
workers in the bromine industry in Israel, and that the only
countries who produce bromine are the U.S., Israel, China,
and France. Haran also noted that the MOE is planning an air
pollution study with the EPA. She said a private NGO had
applied for funds from the MOE and EPA to study were
pollution particles originate.

--------------
International Whaling Commission
--------------


15. (C) Haran commented that she understands the U.S. is
interested in the GOI joining the International Whaling
Commission (IWC). Haran remarked that Israel does not have
whales or whale-hunters, so this is why Israel has not joined
the IWC to date. She said it would be difficult to explain
to Israelis why they have to pay to join the IWC when whaling
is not a problem in Israel, and the GOI already has two laws
to protect endangered species. The Ambassador delivered
demarche points (ref B),and explained to Haran that whales
are a shared natural resource that benefits all mankind. The
U.S. urged Israel to join the whaling convention in time for
the June IWC meeting. Haran and Ezra said that although
whaling is not an environmental issue in Israel, they would
discuss joining the IWC with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

--------------
Travel Warning
--------------


16. (C) Ezra questioned the need for a travel warning from
the U.S. The Ambassador responded that the USG only added
five lines to the travel warning for Israel because crime has
taken place in several popular places, including Herzliyya
Pituach where many U.S. diplomats and other American citizens
live. He explained that the Embassy had a duty to warn its
employees of crime dangers, and under the "no-double
standard" policy in place since the Pan Am 103 bombing, must
therefore warn all U.S. citizens. Ezra asked whether it is
possible to cancel the travel warning, and the Ambassador
emphasized that the advisory is in place mainly to warn U.S.
citizens about terrorism in Israel, not crime. Micky
Rosenfeld, representative from the INP's Foreign Press
Office, said that it was legitimate for the U.S. to write a
few lines about crime, but that the problem was that the
warning had shown up on the front page of Yediot Aharanot.
Ezra asked the Ambassador if it would be possible for him to
tell the press that its reporting had exaggerated the
warning, and the Ambassador said he would because he agreed
with that assessment.

--------------
Release Pollard
--------------


17. (C) Ezra closed the meeting by asking for the release of
Jonathan Pollard. He said "no one understands" why Pollard
is in jail when Soviet spies have been released from U.S.
jails, and added tongue-in-cheek that "we gave you
Rosenstein." He said that the GOI could let some Palestinian
prisoners go if "we get Pollard." The Ambassador responded
that this issue is in the President's hands, but that he
would report to Washington Ezra's remarks.

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