SPIEGEL ON CROSSINGS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH AMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 003938 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SUBJECT: SPIEGEL ON CROSSINGS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH AMA NEGOTIATIONS Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a September 4 meeting, BGen (ret.) Baruch Spiegel and MOD Senior Adviser Haggai Alon reported to the Ambassador that Minister of Defense Amir Peretz has given the green light for the MOD to undertake talks with the USG to implement the AMA, and that the MOD will also be working on implementing the USSC's security plan for Karni. He remarked that the weak point at Rafah is the lack of coordination by the parties at the crossing on dangerous elements entering Gaza. He said that all of the Gaza crossings were open that day, but traffic at Karni was slowed due to a strike by workers on the Palestinian side. He said that the GOI was eager to develop further the Erez crossing, and that it wants to coordinate with the Palestinians on a cargo terminal at Erez. He claimed that Erez could have a capacity of 150 trucks per day. End summary. -------------- Operations at Karni, Renew Construction at Erez -------------- ¶2. (C) BGen (ret.) Baruch Spiegel and Ministry of Defense (MOD) Senior Adviser Haggai Alon on September 4 provided the Ambassador with a brief update of the status of crossings to the Gaza Strip. Spiegel said that all of the crossings were open that day, but that traffic was slow at Karni because of a strike by workers on the Palestinian side. He explained that the workers have not received their salaries, and were also protesting to seek an increase in the amount of time that the crossing is open. He claimed that close to 250 trucks per day crossed through Karni last week, but said that this week the strike had really slowed things down. Spiegel added that Defense Minister Amir Peretz and MOD Director General Gaby Ashkenazi are personally intervening to transfer a palette scanner and a scanner for empty containers from the port of Ashdod to Karni. He remarked that the scanners have been waiting at Ashdod because preparation of infrastructure at Karni was necessary before they could be put in place. ¶3. (C) Spiegel reported that the GOI has decided to develop further the Erez terminal. He said a new passenger terminal would be ready shortly, and that the GOI wants to continue with construction of a new cargo terminal. He mentioned that Israel has invested NIS 10 million to prepare the cargo terminal thus far. Spiegel continued that the GOI is "ready now," and wants to coordinate the construction with the Palestinians, including infrastructure on the Palestinian side of the crossing. He commented that feedback from the Palestinians is necessary, and that now is the time to coordinate construction of the cargo terminal, especially if "something happens on the Erez Industrial Zone (EIZ)," so that it can be used in addition to Karni. As an aside, Spiegel said that he and Alon recently met with the Turkish ambassador in Tel Aviv, who told them that Turkey is ready to send a team to investigate the possibilities at the EIZ. ¶4. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question on the capacity of Erez, Spiegel said that it could potentially handle 150 trucks per day with scanners. The Ambassador noted that when they were negotiating the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA),the parties focused on enhancing operations at existing crossings to reach a particular capacity. He commented, however, that it probably made more sense to focus on total traffic through the crossings, whether all the goods cross through Karni, or a combination of Karni, Erez, and Kerem Shalom, to which Spiegel agreed. Spiegel opined that it would be a pity if location of the movement of the border (a step previously raised by Dahlan) becomes a pre-condition for improving the Erez crossing. He added that the GOI is reviewing an idea of using a rail line from Erez to Ashdod for cargo. -------------- The Secretary's Visit and AMA Negotiations -------------- ¶5. (C) The Ambassador told Spiegel that the Secretary would discuss the opening of Rafah during her trip to Israel. He noted that while Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat had requested openings two days per week during Ramadan, the U.S. would like for the crossing to be open longer because regular hours increase security and make the border easier to monitor for illegal activity. He mentioned that the Secretary would also discuss Karni and LTG Dayton's security plan for the crossing, and would encourage the start of AMA talks and adoption of the customs protocol for Rafah/Kerem Shalom. ¶6. (C) Spiegel reported that Peretz has given MOD officials a green light to undertake talks with the USG to implement the AMA. He said that the teams are almost prepared, and that the USG and GOI can have a meeting within a week or two at the working level to begin setting an agenda. He added that the MOD will also be working on implementing LTG Dayton's security plan for Karni. The Ambassador urged constituting the Security Working Group for Rafah, and Spiegel agreed. The U.S. should continue to work very closely with the MOD (after Spiegel's impending departure from government service) because the MOD has the power to implement decisions, according to Spiegel. ¶7. (C) Spiegel said that a weak point at Rafah is the lack of coordination between the parties on dangerous elements entering Gaza. He cited the registry disk of Palestinians as an example, explaining that the GOI database provided to the PA is very comprehensive, with names in English, ID numbers, and with information on individuals' movements across borders. He commented that the database is used at Allenby crossing in the West Bank and at Erez, questioning why the Palestinians cannot use it at Rafah as well. He added that the fiber optic cables between Rafah and Kerem Shalom need to be fixed. On the customs protocol, Spiegel said that there is no resistance to it from the MOD. He suggested that the U.S. discuss it with the prime minister's office. ********************************************* ******************** 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