EMBLEM: GOI HEALTH MINISTRY OPPOSES COMPOSITION OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001395 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR NEA/IPA, PRM FOR PDAS GREENE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IS PGOV PREF PREL SZ ICRC ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL SUBJECT: EMBLEM: GOI HEALTH MINISTRY OPPOSES COMPOSITION OF MDA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REF: A. TEL AVIV 1392 ¶B. TEL AVIV 972 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Israel Representative for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) Anna Segall told poloff April 5 that the GOI has not yet approved changes to Magen David Adom (MDA) statutes because the Ministry of Health (MOH) opposes the proposed composition of the MDA executive committee. Segall said that the GOI has planned an inter-ministerial committee meeting for April 10 to try to resolve this and other remaining conflicts between GOI officials and MDA leaders. Segall also acknowledged that these statutes must be changed immediately so that the ICRC general assembly can consider them at a meeting on April 27 in Geneva. Meanwhile, ICRC Head of Delegation Dominik Stillhart told the Ambassador April 4 that the GOI must also take concrete and immediate steps to demonstrate progress toward fulfilling the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in December 2005. The Ambassador discussed these issues in a meeting with MFA Director General Ron Prosor on April 5 (reftel A). END SUMMARY. -------------- POINTS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GOI AND MDA -------------- ¶2. (SBU) ICRC Head of Delegation Stillhart, IFRC Representative Segall, and MFA Director General Ron Prosor (reftel A) have all told post in the past two days that they do not know when the GOI will approve changes to MDA statutes necessary for MDA admission into the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. Segall reported that four amendments to MDA statutes remain to be completed before MDA can be accepted for admission into the movement. Each amendment requires approval of both the MDA and the MOH. She reported the following progress on each amendment: -- Composition of the MDA National Council: MDA has approved the necessary amendment; the MOH has not yet approved it. According to Segall, the Ministry does not oppose the MDA's amendment and will soon approve it. -- Composition of the MDA executive committee: The MDA national council approved an amendment last December but, according to Segall, the MOH will not accept it. (See below for a further explanation.) -- Appointment of the MDA president: The MDA national council approved an amendment that Segall said "doesn't work at the moment, but the re-worked version that they have proposed should be OK." -- Adoption of fundamental Red Cross principles: The MDA council has not yet formally adopted these principles, but Segall said that this issue will not be difficult to resolve. ¶4. (SBU) Segall explained that the MDA National Council voted in December 2005 to increase membership in the executive committee to 15 members from 12, divided roughly half and half between MDA representatives and government officials. According to Segall, the Minister of Health at the time, Daniel Naveh, rejected this proposal and changed the composition to a total of 13 members, of whom seven would be MDA representatives, three government officials, and three public representatives. All government officials and MDA leaders now accept this formulation, Segall said, but the MOH and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) demand that the MDA by-laws stipulate the qualifications required for new members and include what she termed a standard review procedure commonly adopted by public companies and government boards in Israel. MOJ officials support these demands, according to Segall, because they feel obligated to monitor MDA as a result of a recent report issued by the State Comptroller, that criticized the procedure by which MDA appoints its leaders. -------------- CONSEQUENCES OF FURTHER DELAY -------------- ¶5. (SBU) If the GOI does not act soon to change MDA statutes, Segall warned, "then we are in an awkward situation where PRCS qualifies for recognition, but MDA doesn't." Segall said that the PRCS has taken the necessary steps to be eligible for admission into the movement. ¶6. (SBU) ICRC Head Dominik Stillhart stressed the political importance of GOI progress toward fulfilling the PRCS-MDA MOU of December 2005. He emphasized again that the GOI must permit PRCS to station ambulances in East Jerusalem (reftel). Even if the GOI takes all possible steps to expedite PRCS ambulances through IDF checkpoints, Stillhart said, the PRCS will remain free to claim that these steps are insufficient. No one can dispute, however, the presence of ambulances stationed in East Jerusalem, Stillhart said; a simple photograph, he noted, would serve as sufficient and irrefutable evidence that Israel has taken PRCS demands seriously on this issue. Unfortunately, Stillhart added, the stationing of ambulances in East Jerusalem is so politically sensitive for Israel that it may ultimately require approval by the Prime Minister. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES