CODEL MILLER HEARS VIEWS ON WAR FROM ISRAELI MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 003220

SIPDIS

CODEL

STATE FOR NEA, H, PM, S/CT
PENTAGON FOR OSD ISRAEL DESK OFFICER (ANDERSON)
NSC FOR LOGERFO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: PREL OVIP ASEC MOPS MASS PTER LE IS
SUBJECT: CODEL MILLER HEARS VIEWS ON WAR FROM ISRAELI MFA
AND MOD, IS BRIEFED ON ISRAEL'S MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) On August 9, Israeli MFA Deputy Director General Yoram
Ben Zeev hosted CODEL Miller to lunch in the Israeli Arab
town of Abu Ghosh, using the opportunity to convey GOI views
on the ongoing war against Hizballah, and stressing that
Arabs and Israelis can live side-by-side in peace and
harmony. Members of CODEL Miller, accompanied by members of
CODEL Royce and Congressman Henry Waxman, stressed to Zeev
that Israel needs to make a serious effort at getting its
side of the story out to the international public.
Congresswoman Nancy Johnson suggested that Israel take the
risk of revealing some of its intelligence sources in order
to demonstrate that Iran and Syria have been supplying
funding, weapons, and material and other support to
Hizballah. After lunch concluded, CODEL Miller relocated to
the facilities of Tadiran Electronic Systems, Ltd. in Holon,
where they received a briefing on Israel's missile defense
(MD) systems. Tadiran's briefers stressed that Israel's MD
architecture is multi-layered, relying first and foremost on
the Arrow missile system, and then on U.S. and Israeli
Patriot missile batteries. The Tadiran briefers noted that
Israel's MD system is currently configured to intercept
possible missile launches from Iran and Syria. They
highlighted the important role U.S. companies and technology
play in Israel's MD system, and the regular training Israel
conducts alongside U.S. European Command (EUCOM) forces in
bi-annual Juniper Cobra and other exercises. CODEL Miller
ended the day with a briefing on the terrorist threat to
Israel conducted by Israeli MOD Political-Military Bureau
Head MGEN (Res.) Amos Gilad at the Defense Ministry in Tel
Aviv. END SUMMARY.

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MFA-HOSTED LUNCH FOCUSES ON ISRAEL-ARAB RELATIONS
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2. (C) Israeli MFA DDG Yoram Ben Zeev hosted CODELs Miller
and Royce, and Congressman Waxman to a lunch at a restaurant
in the Arab-Israeli town of Abu Ghosh, mid-way between Tel
Aviv and Jerusalem. According to Zeev, he picked the
location to show that Arabs could live at peace within
Israel. He claimed that the Arabs of Abu Ghosh had decided,
as far back as 1948, to stay in Israel in their town, and
that there had never been any ugly incidents between Arabs
and Israelis in the town.


3. (C) Zeev used the opportunity to explain to the
representatives how Israel viewed the ongoing conflict with
Hizballah. He said that Lebanon had allowed Hizballah to
grow like a "cancer," and that Israel now had to go after the
cancer to eliminate it. Zeev claimed that Israel can confirm
that it has killed at least 273 Hizballah fighters, because
it has the names of the dead. He suggested Israel has
probably killed more than 400 fighters. At the conclusion of
his remarks, he emphasized Israel's gratitude for America's
moral and material support during its war with Hizballah and
Hamas.


4. (C) Responding to questions, Zeev said:

-- On Iran, that Iranian Republican Guards and weapons from
Iran had entered Lebanon over the previous few hours. He
said that Israel hopes that the UN Security Council will be
more effective on Iran than in its dealings with other
matters presented to it. Zeev said that sanctions --
including on things like Iranian VIP travel to Europe, and
the participation of Iranian scientists in international
conferences -- can be effective. He listed the main
questions as, "How united is the West? What will be the role
of Russia?" Zeev called for the creation of a coalition of
the willing to block Iranian-sponsored terrorism and prevent
Iran's acquisition of a nuclear capability.

-- On Syria, Israel is unsure about how to split off Syria
and isolate it. Zeev said Israel is quite certain that
President Assad is "nothing like his father," and is more
adventurist. He suggested that more human contact with Syria
might be what is needed right now to moderate its behavior.
Zeev claimed that Khalid Masha'al in Syria ordered Hamas in
Gaza to kidnap the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
-- On the Shebaa Farms, that it is a small territory taken by
Israel from Syria during the Six Day War. Zeev said there is
a "big debate" about who it belongs to. He said Israel does
not want Shebaa farms referred to in the UN Security Council
resolution because it will allow Hizballah to declare
victory. Zeev said that Syria says Shebaa Farms should be
"given" back to Lebanon because Syria does not recognize
Lebanon as a sovereign country.

-- On the multinational force that would enter southern
Lebanon, that the French have said that they will not lead.
Zeev said he expects that UNIFIL will be strengthened, but
that there will be no embargo on shipments of weapons to
Hizballah. He said Israel is not very optimistic about the
situation.

-- On the war with Hizballah, that it is only the "tip of the
iceberg." Zeev referred to President Bush's speech earlier
in the week in which the President said that any solution
must address the roots of the conflict. Zeev predicted that
Israel will emerge victorious from Lebanon: "If we do not,
it will be a failure for the free world."

-- On terrorist cells in Israel, that Iran has cells in the
West Bank, and Hizballah recruits supporters from among the
Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.


5. (C) Congresswoman Nancy Johnson strongly suggested to Zeev
that Israel needs to do a better job of making its case in
the public arena. While Israel remained silent, Hizballah --
she observed -- was succeeding in getting the images it
wanted out to the international public, portraying Israel as
the aggressor, and Hizballah and the Lebanese people as
victims. She cautioned that many people did not understand
the link between Hizballah and Iran and Syria, and suggested
that Israel take some risks and make the case by revealing
the evidence -- including captured weapons and prisoner
testimony. Even if this involved revealing sensitive,
classified information, this would be better than to remain
silent. Several of the representatives implied that it would
help them to address the concerns of increasingly vocal
Lebanese-American constituents, who -- they claimed -- are
pressuring them on the basis of one-sided coverage of the
war. Zeev responded drawing on long-standing Israeli
positions regarding the release of classified information,
and media coverage of the war, suggesting that it would be
almost impossible to do what Congresswoman Johnson
recommended. He nevertheless undertook to convey her
suggestions to the appropriate officials. (NOTE: On August
14, the Israeli MOD publicly exhibited weapons that it
captured during operations in southern Lebanon, highlighting
their Iranian and Syrian origins. END NOTE.)

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MD PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS U.S-ISRAEL COOPERATION
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6. (C) At Tadiran Electronic Systems' facility in Holon,
members of CODEL Miller received a briefing on Israel's
missile defense system by Israel Missile Defense Organization
(IMDO) Director Arieh Herzog. The briefing -- which took
place in the IMDO's Active Defense Battle Lab -- showed how
Israel's MD umbrella consisted of two layers: an outer
umbrella -- the Arrow anti-missile system, and an inner
umbrella, comprised of U.S. and Israeli Patriot systems.
Detection of incoming missiles relies on a sophisticated
over-the-horizon Green Pine radar and a network of
satellites. The architecture can also incorporate naval
assets like an Aegis-class guided missile cruiser. Herzog
stressed that Israel's MD system is configured to detect and
destroy incoming long-range ballistic missiles (e.g., Scuds
and Shahabs) from countries like Iran and Syria. He said the
system's operations crews are working 24/7 because of the
Israel-Hizballah conflict. Herzog claimed that Iran is now
developing longer-range missiles with sophisticated decoy
capabilities designed to counter the Arrow missile system,
and to carry nuclear payloads.


7. (C) Herzog noted that Israel's MD system cannot intercept
smaller Katyusha and Qassam rockets as they fly below the
horizon. He said that the IMDO started a feasibility study
with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in 2005 which has
produced a possible solution to the Katyusha threat. He
expressed IMDO's hope that the U.S. Congress will invest more
in this area in 2007, and that Israel will field an active
defense against short-range missiles and artillery rockets by
the end of next year. In response to a question, he said
that Israel's MD system incorporates know-how and technology
from several U.S. defense contractors and companies.
Lockheed Martin supplies the radar seeker for range
management, a company in California supplies the
electro-optical detectors, and Boeing in Huntsville, Alabama
is the main contractor. Herzog said that 50 percent of the
Arrow missile components are produced in the U.S., and that
Congressionally-funded co-production is key to the Arrow
missile system.


8. (C) The CODEL also watched two short film presentations
that described how EUCOM assets deploy to Israel and take
part in bi-annual Juniper Cobra missile defense exercises.
The Juniper Cobra exercises of 2005 involved a U.S.
Aegis-class guided missile cruiser and Patriot batteries.
The next round of Juniper Cobra exercises are scheduled to
take place 23 February - 30 March 2007.

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MOD BRIEFING PROVIDES TOUR D'HORIZON OF NEIGHBORHOOD
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9. (C) At the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, CODEL Miller
received a tour d'horizon on Israel's neighborhood from MOD
Political-Military Bureau Head Major General (Res.) Amos
Gilad. Gilad stressed that cooperation with Jordan was
excellent and surpassed Israel's expectations in all areas.
He suggested that Israel does not have to worry about
terrorists entering Israel from the East, because they are
stopped in Jordan. Gilad said that the relationship with
Egypt is improving, and that significant progress in this
area was made as a result of having to coordinate with Egypt
over the Israeli evacuation of the Philadelphi corridor
between Egypt and Gaza.


10. (C) Gilad said that Iran is the main threat to Israel now
due to its regional superpower ambitions, nuclear weapons
program, missile program, and support for terrorists,
including Hizballah and Hamas. Gilad laid out for his guests
his view of the region, with Iran patiently building up
strongholds -- "Hamas-stan" in Gaza, and "Hizballah-stan" in
southern Lebanon -- from where they plan to make their pushes
against Israel. He said that Iran uses terrorism as a
strategic weapon, and cares about legitimacy -- hence its
support for Hamas and Hizballah representation in
parliaments. On legitimacy, Gilad said France's
unwillingness to declare Hizballah a terrorist organization
benefits Iran. Gilad warned that an unacceptable situation
will be reached when Iran demonstrates a nuclear capability,
thereby empowering it to unleash terrorist groups in the
region, and defend itself and them from attack through
nuclear deterrence. In view of this possible scenario, Gilad
stressed that Israel is grateful for U.S. leadership on the
Iran nuclear crisis, and for U.S. support for Israel in its
war against Hizballah and Hamas.


11. (C) In their responses, the representatives all stressed
the USG and American people's support for Israel in its war
with Hizballah. Representative Nancy Johnson made her case
that Israel should do more to publicly demonstrate the role
of Iran and Syria in Israel's war with Hizballah. She said
Israel and western countries need to demonstrate that they
have plans to rebuild Lebanon and its education system.

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PARTICIPANTS
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12. (U) The participants in the various meetings on August 9
included:

ISRAEL
MFA Deputy Director General Yoram Ben Zeev
MFA Counselor Eyal Sela
MFA Counselor Iris Sapir
Israel Missile Defense Organization Director Arieh Herzog
MOD Political-Military Bureau Head Amos Gilad

U.S.A.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT)
Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL)
Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA)
Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA)
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) (only at the lunch)
Mrs. Waxman
Mrs. Marie Royce
HASC Staffer Doug Roach
POL-MIL Officer (notetaker)


13. (U) The CODELs did not have an opportunity to clear on
this cable.

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