(S) SHIMON PERES ON HAMAS, JORDAN, NEGEV-GALILEE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002571 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2016 TAGS: ECON ETRD PREL PGOV PTER KWBG JO AF IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE SUBJECT: (S) SHIMON PERES ON HAMAS, JORDAN, NEGEV-GALILEE DEVELOPMENT, AND AFGHANISTAN REF: TEL AVIV 02451 Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Summary: In a June 26 meeting with Ambassador Jones, Minister for Negev and Galilee Development Shimon Peres said the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier at Kerem Shalom by militants, without the knowledge of Hamas Prime Minister Haniyeh proves that Haniyeh is as weak as President Abbas, at least in terms of controlling Hamas' military wing. Peres urged the international community to pressure the Hamas leadership in Damascus, and claimed that orders to carry out the attack on Kerem Shalom came from Khalid Misha'al. Peres discussed his meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah and shared Abdullah's thoughts on joint development projects. He outlined his vision for joint industrial zones, to provide employment for Palestinians in the West Bank, and claimed to have already secured the support of influential investors for the project. He also described how financing for Negev and Galilee development projects will be carried out -- by earmarking funds from the budgets of other ministries. Finally, Peres described his meeting with Afghan president Hamid Kharzai and his vision for an Israeli Arab role in the agricultural development of Afghanistan. End summary. -------------- Kerem Shalom attack -------------- ¶2. (C) Peres claimed that the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier at Kerem Shalom by Palestinian militants affiliated with Hamas proves that Hamas Prime Minister Haniyeh is as weak as President Abbas, at least in terms of controlling Hamas' military wing. Peres urged the U.S. to pressure the Hamas leadership in Damascus and their sponsors, and claimed that orders to carry out the attack on Kerem Shalom came from Khalid Misha'al. The Ambassador asked Peres what support Israel would seek from the international community. Peres said that public pressure will be enough, but he added, "Europe needs to send the message to the PA that they will not see a penny until the prisoner is released." -------------- Meeting with the King -------------- ¶3. (C) Peres said that the atmospherics at the recent Nobel Laureates' meetings in Petra, Jordan were good. He said that the King did not respond favorably to his suggestion that Israel and Jordan jointly develop the 80 km strip of border between the West Bank and Jordan (along the Jordan Valley) into industrial zones to provide employment for Palestinians, out of concern that it would attract large numbers of Palestinian workers to Jordan's doorstep. However, the King strongly supported plans for the development of a regional airport for Aqaba and Eilat, according to Peres. Peres said that the breakfast between the King, Prime Minister Olmert, President Abbas, and himself also "went well," but had no tangible results. -------------- Joint Projects -------------- ¶4. (C) Peres described three possible joint development projects with Jordan. --Aqaba Airport: Israel currently maintains an airport in Eilat to service international charters and domestic air travel. Peres said that the King is interested in moving forward with the proposal for the development of a "regional runway" with two terminals, one in Aqaba and the other in Eilat. The Ambassador asked if the Ministry of Transportation has specific security concerns with the proposal to share the runway but maintain separate terminals. Peres said that there are security concerns. But he added that there are also the vested commercial interests of the city of Eilat and the Ministry of Transportation - both of which view the existing but inadequate Eilat airport as a source of revenue - which must be resolved before such a project can move forward. The Ambassador asked Peres whether he had considered making the airport a true regional project, e.g. by including a light rail connection to Sharm El-Sheik in Egypt. --Mining of Copper Ore: Peres said that Israel has already engaged a Mexican company to exploit the copper vein that runs underneath the Israel-Jordan border in the Timna mines, and hopes that this can also become a joint development project. --Red-Dead Conduit: Peres expressed frustration with the pace of World Bank preparations for a feasibility study of transferring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. He said that the World Bank has only raised about USD 10 million out of USD 15 million needed to carry out the study. He added that he has sent letters to the Secretary and World Bank President Wolfowitz, asking for assistance in moving the project forward. Peres claims that the private sector could carry out the feasibility study in three months, while the World Bank would take at least two years. He also said that the total cost estimate for the Red-Dead project of USD five billion is exaggerated, and that a more modest Red-Dead project (without hydroelectric power plants and with a smaller amount of water transferred) will cost only between USD 1.2-2 billion. Peres claimed that two local billionaires are interested in helping to finance the project, but did not provide their names. -------------- Industrial Zones -------------- ¶5. (C) Peres said that King Abdullah did not support the idea of establishing qualifying industrial zones (QIZs) along the 80 km border between the West Bank and Jordan. Peres noted that he was therefore considering locating it in the industrial zone in the center of Jenin instead. The Ambassador reminded Peres that Palestinian exports currently qualify for duty-free export to the United States, and asked what benefit there would be, from a trade perspective, to establishing such a QIZ. Peres responded that the QIZ would qualify for duty-free export to Europe and provide jobs for Palestinians. He also argued that in the current poor political climate the only possible avenue for progress was to improve economic conditions. He claimed that the Wertheimer family is willing to finance the initiative, but that Israel needs to find anchor companies to attract other investors to the zone. In the long-term, he predicts an economic confederation between Jordan and the West Bank, but the maintenance of strict political separation. -------------- Negev and Galilee Development -------------- ¶6. (C) The Ambassador asked how plans for Negev and Galilee development are progressing in light of the lack of a current budget for many of the Ministries' activities (Reftel). Peres explained that over the next few weeks his ministry will be placing earmarks within the budgets of other ministries for Negev and Galilee development -- for example the construction of railroads will be funded from the Ministry of Transportation budget. Peres also highlighted his success is enlisting private investors, such as Carlson Wagonlit Travel, to invest in the development of tourism around the Kinneret and Akko areas. Peres said that now Israel needs to attract private investment to the Negev, "to prepare for the future (West Bank settlement) evacuees." In addition to that, he added that such development will make it easier for the fifty-thousand Israeli-Arabs who graduate from college each year to find jobs. -------------- Talks with Kharzai -------------- ¶7. (S) Peres said that during his recent meetings in Almaty, Kazakhstan on the margins of the CICA conference, he spoke with Afghan President Hamid Kharzai and offered Israeli assistance in agriculture development. He suggested using Israeli-Arab farmers to assist in developing a training program for Afghan farmers. Peres highlighted the advantages of working through Israeli-Arabs farmers since they possess the sophisticated agricultural development experience of Israeli farmers, and are much more likely to be able to work effectively in predominantly Muslim Afghanistan. The Ambassador agreed that Israeli Arabs were a potential untapped asset which could greatly assist Israel's efforts to build bridges to Muslim countries. ********************************************* ******************** 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