Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV4293
2006-10-27 14:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
GERMANS DOWNPLAYING ISRAELI ACTIONS AGAINST UNIFIL
how-tonull Leza L Olson 10/30/2006 09:05:50 AM From DB/Inbox: Leza L Olson Cable Text: C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 04293 SIPDIS CXTelA: ACTION: POL INFO: IPSC PD IMO RES ECON DCM DAO AMB AID ADM RSO CONS DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: POL:MSIEVERS DRAFTED: POL:SCROWLEY CLEARED: DAO:DOMEARA, POL:MKEAYS VZCZCTVI617 OO RUEHC RUEHXK RUEHRL RHMFISS DE RUEHTV #4293 3001430 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 271430Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7254 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0278 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004293
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS LE GM IS
SUBJECT: GERMANS DOWNPLAYING ISRAELI ACTIONS AGAINST UNIFIL
NAVAL VESSEL
Classified By: Political Counselor Marc Sievers; reasons 1.4 (B and D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004293
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS LE GM IS
SUBJECT: GERMANS DOWNPLAYING ISRAELI ACTIONS AGAINST UNIFIL
NAVAL VESSEL
Classified By: Political Counselor Marc Sievers; reasons 1.4 (B and D).
1. (C) The German DCM in Tel Aviv told poloff on October 27
that Berlin is intentionally downplaying its response to the
October 24 incident in which an Israeli Air Force F-16
allegedly fired two shots across the bow of a Bundesmarine
ship assisting UNIFIL. According to the DCM, German Defense
Minister Franz Josef Jung called his Israeli counterpart,
Amir Peretz, to discuss what Jung called a "potentially
dangerous incident." Jung reportedly told Peretz that the
reports are particularly unhelpful in light of domestic
German political opposition to participation in UNIFIL. The
Embassy anticipates a similar call from General Wolfgang
Schneiderhahn to LTG Dan Halutz, but that call has not yet
taken place. The German DATT told DAO that he had never
received expected details from the headquarters in Potsdam to
assist him in making inquiries with the Israelis. The DCM
did not anticipate that the Embassy would file a formal
protest or present written points to the GOI. He noted that
Jung will arrive in Israel for a previously planned visit on
November 3.
2. (C) The German DCM said his Embassy had received no
read-out of the Israeli response to Jung's call, but that
Israeli defense contacts had told the Embassy that the GOI
did not intentionally target the German ship. The Israelis
reportedly claimed that the incident was the result of the
complex situation along the Lebanese coast and was not in any
way meant to send a message to Germany or to UNIFIL.
3. (C) The facts of the incident remain unclear. According
to the German Embassy, six Israeli F-16 fighters approached
the German ship "Alster" off of the southern Lebanese coast
on October 24. One of the F-16s then flew low over the bow,
allegedly engaging its weapons and defensive systems,
deploying flares, and firing two shots over the bow. The
Israeli Defense Force has leaked a different version to the
local press, claiming that the F-16s scrambled to intercept a
helicopter near Israel's northern border, and then followed
the unidentified aircraft back to the German ship, where
flares -- but not offensive weapons -- were fired. (Note:
The German Embassy continues to call the Alster a "support
ship," although the press has noted that the OSTE-class
vessel is equipped with significant ELINT capabilities).
********************************************* ********************
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: 10/27/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS LE GM IS
SUBJECT: GERMANS DOWNPLAYING ISRAELI ACTIONS AGAINST UNIFIL
NAVAL VESSEL
Classified By: Political Counselor Marc Sievers; reasons 1.4 (B and D).
1. (C) The German DCM in Tel Aviv told poloff on October 27
that Berlin is intentionally downplaying its response to the
October 24 incident in which an Israeli Air Force F-16
allegedly fired two shots across the bow of a Bundesmarine
ship assisting UNIFIL. According to the DCM, German Defense
Minister Franz Josef Jung called his Israeli counterpart,
Amir Peretz, to discuss what Jung called a "potentially
dangerous incident." Jung reportedly told Peretz that the
reports are particularly unhelpful in light of domestic
German political opposition to participation in UNIFIL. The
Embassy anticipates a similar call from General Wolfgang
Schneiderhahn to LTG Dan Halutz, but that call has not yet
taken place. The German DATT told DAO that he had never
received expected details from the headquarters in Potsdam to
assist him in making inquiries with the Israelis. The DCM
did not anticipate that the Embassy would file a formal
protest or present written points to the GOI. He noted that
Jung will arrive in Israel for a previously planned visit on
November 3.
2. (C) The German DCM said his Embassy had received no
read-out of the Israeli response to Jung's call, but that
Israeli defense contacts had told the Embassy that the GOI
did not intentionally target the German ship. The Israelis
reportedly claimed that the incident was the result of the
complex situation along the Lebanese coast and was not in any
way meant to send a message to Germany or to UNIFIL.
3. (C) The facts of the incident remain unclear. According
to the German Embassy, six Israeli F-16 fighters approached
the German ship "Alster" off of the southern Lebanese coast
on October 24. One of the F-16s then flew low over the bow,
allegedly engaging its weapons and defensive systems,
deploying flares, and firing two shots over the bow. The
Israeli Defense Force has leaked a different version to the
local press, claiming that the F-16s scrambled to intercept a
helicopter near Israel's northern border, and then followed
the unidentified aircraft back to the German ship, where
flares -- but not offensive weapons -- were fired. (Note:
The German Embassy continues to call the Alster a "support
ship," although the press has noted that the OSTE-class
vessel is equipped with significant ELINT capabilities).
********************************************* ********************
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