EMBLEM: AMBULANCE AND STATUTES UPDATE

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001807

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA; PRM FOR PDAS GREENE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF SZ IS PGOV ICRC GOI INTERNAL HUMANITARIAN AID
SUBJECT: EMBLEM: AMBULANCE AND STATUTES UPDATE



1. (SBU) MFA Director of International Organizations Daniel
Meron told poloff May 9 that the GOI has not yet adopted a
position on the stationing of five additional ambulances of
the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in East
Jerusalem. He twice replied to direct questions about the
GOI view on this issue with the statement, "I don't have news
on that yet." When asked about progress on implementing
changes to Magen David Adom (MDA) statutes necessary for MDA
to join the Red Cross / Red Crescent movement, Meron replied,
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask. There is no conclusion yet
on the matter."


2. (SBU) Meron also reported that the verification exercise
conducted May 4 by Swiss Ambassador Didier Pfirter and the
ICRC proved successful. Pfirter and the ICRC witnessed a
PRCS ambulance test the "fast lanes" established by the GOI
to accelerate passage of PRCS ambulances through Israeli
checkpoints. Meron said that Pfirter told him that the PRCS
ambulance used as a test case had moved rapidly through a
checkpoint from Ramallah into East Jerusalem. (Note: Meron
also reported that Israeli police stopped the PRCS ambulance
while it was driving in East Jerusalem, to ask the drivers
what they were doing there. Meron said that MDA ambulance
drivers on the scene explained the new GOI policy to the
police officers. End note.)

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JONES