Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1437
2006-04-10 15:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
GOI BRIEFING ON STATUS OF CROSSINGS
how-toThis 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 02 TEL AVIV 001437
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016
TAGS: ECON PTER KWBG KPAL ASEC EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI BRIEFING ON STATUS OF CROSSINGS
REF: A. A) TEL AVIV 1392
B. B) STATE 55424
Classified By: DCM GENE A. CRETZ, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001437
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016
TAGS: ECON PTER KWBG KPAL ASEC EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI BRIEFING ON STATUS OF CROSSINGS
REF: A. A) TEL AVIV 1392
B. B) STATE 55424
Classified By: DCM GENE A. CRETZ, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: Brig. Gen. (res.) Baruch Spiegel on April 7
briefed the Ambassador, USSC Head General Dayton, and EU-BAM
Head of Mission General Pistolese on the status of the
crossings. Spiegel said that Sufa was working at full
capacity and that there would be increased volume at Kerem
Shalom once the scanners are operational. He said the fact
there is a Hamas government is making it difficult to find a
relevant, clear point of contact on crossing issues. Spiegel
reiterated that the GOI continues officially to follow the
bilateral understanding with the U.S. on illegal outposts.
End summary.
--------------
STATUS OF CROSSINGS
--------------
2. (C) On April 7, Brig. Gen. (res.) Baruch Spiegel briefed
the Ambassador, USSC Head General Keith Dayton, and EU-BAM
head of Mission Lt. Gen. Pietro Pistolese on the status of
the crossings. Spiegel said that Karni was open that day
and, barring a dramatic change, would likely remain open
until the eve of the Passover holiday. (Note: According to
COGAT, Karni was closed April 9-10 and would be closed April
12-13 and April 18-19, the first two and last two days of the
Passover holiday. End note.) Sufa, the main terminal for
aggregates, has been working at full capacity, after
reopening after nearly two months. Spiegel said that 15
Jordanian trucks carrying wheat donated by King Abdullah
crossed into Gaza at Sufa on April 6. (Note: COGAT reports
that 26 truckloads of basic foodstuffs belonging to the World
Food Program entered Gaza at Sufa on April 9. The WFP
currently has nearly 700 tons of wheat flour in Gaza. COGAT
also offered UNRWA the use of the Sufa crossing on April 9
for the importation of its humanitarian supplies, but the
organization declined, saying that it has sufficient supplies
in Gaza for this week. End note.) Spiegel said 15-20
truckloads per day were entering Gaza at Kerem Shalom. He
expected that the terminal would function more efficiently,
allowing for increased volume, once the scanners are
operational.
3. (C) Regarding security at the crossings, Spiegel said
there is a 300 meter-long tunnel that was discovered 10
meters from the PA position near Kerem Shalom. He said the
Palestinians had told the GOI that the tunnel is filled with
water, but it still needs to be checked. He hoped the fiber
optic cable near Kerem Shalom would be connected prior to the
Passover holiday. Spiegel lamented the large number of
Kassam rockets launched at Israel from Gaza and noted that
more than 40 had been fired in the last week. Spiegel said
that the IDF was using artillery fire (300 rounds/day),naval
attacks, and helicopters to respond. He claimed that weapons
were being brought in, mostly by tunnel, from Egypt.
Although military cooperation with the Egyptians is good,
Spiegel said, it is difficult to control smuggling through
the Sinai. He said that without the safety belt of a sterile
area, smuggling would be difficult to stop. He said the
USAID water project had to stop due to the security
situation, because it is impossible to continue digging and
laying pipe in the current security climate. Spiegel said
that a delay in the pipe project due to security threats
could lead to serious water shortages in Gaza.
--------------
CUSTOMS AND SMUGGLING
--------------
4. (C) General Pistolese said that the solution to the
smuggling of cigarettes, cosmetics, and other goods at Rafah
is to open Kerem Shalom to commercial traffic from Egypt. He
said that pedestrians bring in up to 20 bags of contraband as
&personal items8 because there is no open commercial
terminal with Egypt. In addition, Pistolese said, it has
been difficult for the customs people to handle all the extra
bags brought in late in the day, especially on the last bus.
When the contraband is seized, he said, the PA customs
officials destroy it. Pistolese noted that there should be a
presidential decree authorizing PA customs to sell seized
items. If Kerem Shalom were open, he said, those with extra
bags could be sent to Kerem Shalom where they would pay taxes
on these items.
5. (C) Commenting on the U.S. proposal to send letters to
both sides in order to avoid renegotiating or signing a
customs agreement, Spiegel said this idea is a political
issue and needs to be reviewed by the government (REF A). He
said MFA Director General Ron Prosor has mentioned the idea
to FM Livni, who will then discuss it with PM Olmert.
--------------
NEED FOR PA POC
--------------
6. (C) Spiegel said the fact there is a Hamas government is
making it difficult to find a relevant, clear point of
contact on crossing issues. He said that if the matter deals
with operational functions, it can be handled on the ground.
He said the Palestinians have started to change personnel in
customs and at the crossings at Rafah. Spiegel said it is
important to look at the situation carefully, because of the
joint interaction in the past between PA customs and their
GOI counterparts. He said that if there could be a POC on
the PA side with which the GOI could have unrestricted
contact, it would represent a breakthrough. USSC Head
General Keith Dayton said that it is not clear that Hamas is
putting in its own people with these personnel changes. He
noted that Mahmud Abbas has said that he would create a
separate customs authority out of the presidential guard,
which would make it easier for contacts.
--------------
TUNNEL DETECTION SYSTEM
--------------
7. (C) The Ambassador mentioned the USAID security contractor
would return to Israel on April 8 and would be able to
provide a briefing on tunnel detection systems he looked at
in the U.S. He said the U.S. is willing to work on financing
of the project, starting at Karni crossing and then covering
the entire border region. Spiegel said that if the
technology works, it would be very helpful and increase
security.
--------------
OUTPOSTS
--------------
8. (C) The Ambassador said that he had received guidance to
reiterate the U.S.-Israel bilateral understanding on illegal
outposts and to urge that no steps be taken in contravention
of this understanding (REF B). Spiegel responded that this
issue has been discussed many times with the U.S. side. He
said that the GOI continues officially to follow this
understanding. The new government will deal with this issue.
********************************************* ********************
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
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016
TAGS: ECON PTER KWBG KPAL ASEC EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI BRIEFING ON STATUS OF CROSSINGS
REF: A. A) TEL AVIV 1392
B. B) STATE 55424
Classified By: DCM GENE A. CRETZ, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: Brig. Gen. (res.) Baruch Spiegel on April 7
briefed the Ambassador, USSC Head General Dayton, and EU-BAM
Head of Mission General Pistolese on the status of the
crossings. Spiegel said that Sufa was working at full
capacity and that there would be increased volume at Kerem
Shalom once the scanners are operational. He said the fact
there is a Hamas government is making it difficult to find a
relevant, clear point of contact on crossing issues. Spiegel
reiterated that the GOI continues officially to follow the
bilateral understanding with the U.S. on illegal outposts.
End summary.
--------------
STATUS OF CROSSINGS
--------------
2. (C) On April 7, Brig. Gen. (res.) Baruch Spiegel briefed
the Ambassador, USSC Head General Keith Dayton, and EU-BAM
head of Mission Lt. Gen. Pietro Pistolese on the status of
the crossings. Spiegel said that Karni was open that day
and, barring a dramatic change, would likely remain open
until the eve of the Passover holiday. (Note: According to
COGAT, Karni was closed April 9-10 and would be closed April
12-13 and April 18-19, the first two and last two days of the
Passover holiday. End note.) Sufa, the main terminal for
aggregates, has been working at full capacity, after
reopening after nearly two months. Spiegel said that 15
Jordanian trucks carrying wheat donated by King Abdullah
crossed into Gaza at Sufa on April 6. (Note: COGAT reports
that 26 truckloads of basic foodstuffs belonging to the World
Food Program entered Gaza at Sufa on April 9. The WFP
currently has nearly 700 tons of wheat flour in Gaza. COGAT
also offered UNRWA the use of the Sufa crossing on April 9
for the importation of its humanitarian supplies, but the
organization declined, saying that it has sufficient supplies
in Gaza for this week. End note.) Spiegel said 15-20
truckloads per day were entering Gaza at Kerem Shalom. He
expected that the terminal would function more efficiently,
allowing for increased volume, once the scanners are
operational.
3. (C) Regarding security at the crossings, Spiegel said
there is a 300 meter-long tunnel that was discovered 10
meters from the PA position near Kerem Shalom. He said the
Palestinians had told the GOI that the tunnel is filled with
water, but it still needs to be checked. He hoped the fiber
optic cable near Kerem Shalom would be connected prior to the
Passover holiday. Spiegel lamented the large number of
Kassam rockets launched at Israel from Gaza and noted that
more than 40 had been fired in the last week. Spiegel said
that the IDF was using artillery fire (300 rounds/day),naval
attacks, and helicopters to respond. He claimed that weapons
were being brought in, mostly by tunnel, from Egypt.
Although military cooperation with the Egyptians is good,
Spiegel said, it is difficult to control smuggling through
the Sinai. He said that without the safety belt of a sterile
area, smuggling would be difficult to stop. He said the
USAID water project had to stop due to the security
situation, because it is impossible to continue digging and
laying pipe in the current security climate. Spiegel said
that a delay in the pipe project due to security threats
could lead to serious water shortages in Gaza.
--------------
CUSTOMS AND SMUGGLING
--------------
4. (C) General Pistolese said that the solution to the
smuggling of cigarettes, cosmetics, and other goods at Rafah
is to open Kerem Shalom to commercial traffic from Egypt. He
said that pedestrians bring in up to 20 bags of contraband as
&personal items8 because there is no open commercial
terminal with Egypt. In addition, Pistolese said, it has
been difficult for the customs people to handle all the extra
bags brought in late in the day, especially on the last bus.
When the contraband is seized, he said, the PA customs
officials destroy it. Pistolese noted that there should be a
presidential decree authorizing PA customs to sell seized
items. If Kerem Shalom were open, he said, those with extra
bags could be sent to Kerem Shalom where they would pay taxes
on these items.
5. (C) Commenting on the U.S. proposal to send letters to
both sides in order to avoid renegotiating or signing a
customs agreement, Spiegel said this idea is a political
issue and needs to be reviewed by the government (REF A). He
said MFA Director General Ron Prosor has mentioned the idea
to FM Livni, who will then discuss it with PM Olmert.
--------------
NEED FOR PA POC
--------------
6. (C) Spiegel said the fact there is a Hamas government is
making it difficult to find a relevant, clear point of
contact on crossing issues. He said that if the matter deals
with operational functions, it can be handled on the ground.
He said the Palestinians have started to change personnel in
customs and at the crossings at Rafah. Spiegel said it is
important to look at the situation carefully, because of the
joint interaction in the past between PA customs and their
GOI counterparts. He said that if there could be a POC on
the PA side with which the GOI could have unrestricted
contact, it would represent a breakthrough. USSC Head
General Keith Dayton said that it is not clear that Hamas is
putting in its own people with these personnel changes. He
noted that Mahmud Abbas has said that he would create a
separate customs authority out of the presidential guard,
which would make it easier for contacts.
--------------
TUNNEL DETECTION SYSTEM
--------------
7. (C) The Ambassador mentioned the USAID security contractor
would return to Israel on April 8 and would be able to
provide a briefing on tunnel detection systems he looked at
in the U.S. He said the U.S. is willing to work on financing
of the project, starting at Karni crossing and then covering
the entire border region. Spiegel said that if the
technology works, it would be very helpful and increase
security.
--------------
OUTPOSTS
--------------
8. (C) The Ambassador said that he had received guidance to
reiterate the U.S.-Israel bilateral understanding on illegal
outposts and to urge that no steps be taken in contravention
of this understanding (REF B). Spiegel responded that this
issue has been discussed many times with the U.S. side. He
said that the GOI continues officially to follow this
understanding. The new government will deal with this issue.
********************************************* ********************
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