ISRAELI MOD'S AMOS GILAD ON GAZA-WEST BANK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 000991 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IPA (MAHER) PENTAGON FOR OSD ISRAEL DESK OFFICER JAMES ANDERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2016 TAGS: PREL PINS PINR KWBG KPAL IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL SUBJECT: ISRAELI MOD'S AMOS GILAD ON GAZA-WEST BANK CROSSINGS, SULEIMAN VISIT AND IRAN Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones. Reason: 1.4 (b, d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Israeli MOD Political-Military Bureau Chief Amos Gilad requested an urgent meeting with Ambassador Jones on March 10, stressing that he had been instructed to personally deliver messages from DefMin Mofaz to the Ambassador. In the meeting, he relayed DefMin Mofaz's decision to open the Karni crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip for two to two-and-half hours on March 10. He said that henceforth the decision whether to open or keep Karni closed would be made on a daily basis, based on intelligence reports about terrorist threats to the crossing. Gilad relayed the DefMin's decision to "fully close" for security reasons Gaza and the West Bank during the Purim holiday from March 13 through March 15. Palestinians will not be allowed to enter green line Israel during this period. He said this preventative measure was being taken based on sad experience (e.g., a deadly bombing at the Dizengoff Center during a previous Purim). Gilad asked the Ambassador to help gain Palestinian agreement to use the Kerem Shalom crossing to allow goods to cross in and out of the Gaza Strip. He also asked the U.S. to delay convening a meeting of the Rafah Crossing Security Working Group, planned for March 23, until after April 1. Gilad noted that Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman would visit Israel on March 15, and said that Israel would welcome the opportunity to coordinate its position with the U.S. in advance of that visit. Ambassador Jones stressed the importance the USG places on keeping Karni crossing open -- for political and humanitarian reasons. He noted that the U.S. and Israel need to work together with Egypt and the EU if we wish to see the EU Border Assistance Mission stay in place at Rafah once HAMAS assumes power. ¶2. (C) The meeting was also attended by DefMin Mofaz's military advisor, MGEN Dangott, and representatives from the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and the Shin Bet. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- KARNI: GOI TO OPEN CROSSING TODAY; ASSESS ON 24-HOUR BASIS -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) On the Karni crossing, Gilad said the following: ¶A. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided to open Karni crossing today only to allow goods to enter the Gaza Strip. It will be open from approximately 1400 Israel time, until 1600-1630 Israel time (shortly before the sun goes down and Shabbat starts). MGEN Dangott said that this should allow an average of about 100 trucks per day for March 9-10. Gilad added that on Saturday evening, the DefMin's security experts will conduct another security assessment of the situation and decide if/when Israel will open the crossing on Sunday. Henceforth, this will be done on a daily basis. Gilad stressed that Israel wants to keep Karni open for humanitarian considerations, and closes the crossing only because of "security concerns based on quality, focal intelligence" regarding threats to the safety and welfare of the civilian employees at the crossing. Gilad added that the GOI is sensitive to reports of humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip. ¶B. The Karni passage is under growing threats from Fatah terrorist cells and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Gilad noted that Israeli security forces are monitoring the activity of a HAMAS-supported, Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) member Mumtaz Dughmesh and Imad Abu Namus, an NSF soldier who is "running" two separate suicide bomber operations. Gilad claimed that the two terrorists are set on killing employees at the crossing. (NOTE: Embassy Tel Aviv DATT was briefed on March 10 by Israeli Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) MGEN Amos Yadlin on the latest threat involving Dughmesh and Abu Namus. The threat information caused the Israelis to waver on whether to open Karni. The DMI told the DATT that DefMin Mofaz decided to open Karni on March 9 because of Secretary Rice's personal intervention. When the DefMin received the new threat information at 0300 on March 10, he wavered in advance of the 0600 opening. In the end, the DefMin decided to open Karni, but was reportedly "less than happy about it." DefMin Mofaz himself made this clear to the Ambassador in a brief conversation prior to the Gilad meeting. END NOTE.) ¶C. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not doing anything to deal with the threat. Israel cannot accept this inaction. Gilad said Abbas ignores the information the Israeli side passes to him. He acknowledged that the Palestinian security services are "trying" to reinforce their side of the crossing, "acting reflexively against the HAMAS threat," but lack direction from above. ¶D. MGEN Dangott said that the IDF is assessing how to improve physical security at Karni, and has sent an additional company of soldiers to the crossing. ¶E. Gilad will provide the Ambassador with the GOI's official response to U.S. Security Coordinator General Dayton's request to visit Karni crossing and review Palestinian security efforts there. Gilad agreed that it is important that General Dayton "see the crossing with his own eyes." ¶4. (C) Ambassador Jones urged Gilad to keep him fully apprised of the results of all GOI deliberations on Karni. -------------- - GAZA AND WEST BANK TO BE LOCKED DOWN FOR PURIM -------------- - ¶5. (C) Gilad said that DefMin Mofaz has ordered a "full closure" of Gaza and the West Bank during the time when Israelis celebrate the holiday of Purim. He clarified that the closure will start on Monday, March 13 and run through Wednesday, March 15. Palestinians will not be allowed to enter green line Israel during this time. Gilad said that the closure is being carried out based on past experience, alluding to previous years when terrorists carried out bloody attacks during the holiday. Gilad suggested that HAMAS may try to kidnap soldiers during this period. -------------- -------------- ISRAEL REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE IN OPENING KEREM SHALOM -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) On the Kerem Shalom crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel, Gilad said: ¶A. DefMin Mofaz, as a matter of policy, wants to route traffic through the crossing at Kerem Shalom for humanitarian purposes and to improve the Palestinian people's welfare. The DefMin has insisted that Kerem Shalom be opened, and wants 10-20 trucks to pass through daily at the start. Gilad added that the DefMin has made it clear that Kerem Shalom is a "precondition" for Karni. ¶B. Israel understands "the politics" and sensitive, humanitarian aspect of allowing goods to enter and exit the Gaza Strip. He said that the Palestinians seem to "prefer to destroy the agricultural produce they would otherwise send out through Kerem Shalom because of politics and the fact that they do not like Kerem Shalom." ¶C. The GOI requests that the USG urge the Palestinians to allow the use of Kerem Shalom. MGEN Dangott suggested that the USG approach the Palestinians with a request that they allow 10 non-commercial cargo trucks (e.g., carrying humanitarian aide) to cross first. This number could increase, as necessary. He said that if operated daily, Kerem Shalom could soon process up to 30 trucks per day. ¶7. (C) Ambassador Jones said that the USG supports the use of Kerem Shalom as an additional crossing, and undertook to relay the request to Washington. He stressed that the U.S. has abiding concerns for the humanitarian issue, but also sees this as a political issue, and wants the focus to be kept on HAMAS. He stressed that it is important for DefMin Mofaz to strike an appropriate balance between the these concerns and the terrorist threat. -------------- -- ...CONVENING OF SECURITY WORKING GROUP AT RAFAH -------------- -- ¶8. (C) Gilad asked the U.S. to delay a meeting of the Security Working Group for Rafah Crossing, planned for March 23, until after April 1, suggesting this needs to happen because Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be traveling until then. (COMMENT: The timing of Israeli elections on March 28 is a more likely reason for this request in our view. END COMMENT.) -------------- -------------- ...COORDINATING POSITIONS IN ADVANCE OF SULEIMAN VISIT -------------- -------------- ¶9. (C) Gilad said that Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman would visit Israel on March 15. He said U.S. involvement in preparations for the visit would be very important, and that Israel would welcome any U.S. recommendations on points to make to Suleiman. He promised to brief the Ambassador on the visit afterwards. Gilad suggested that Suleiman's aim, on the question of HAMAS, is to "contain and delay" rather than confront. ¶10. (C) Gilad added that DefMin Mofaz is receiving new intelligence reports indicating an increase in smuggling from Sinai into Gaza. When asked, Gilad admitted he did not know exactly what was being smuggled. ¶11. (C) The Ambassador urged Gilad to consider the impact of a HAMAS-led Palestinian Authority on the operation of the Rafah crossing. For example, what will happen to the EU Border Assistance Mission? What can we do to keep it in place? Gilad said that the U.S. and Israel should coordinate positions on the Mission, and that this is an issue which will be discussed with Omar Suleiman. Gilad added that Israel accepts the importance of Egypt's involvement in managing the border: "They are one of the few cards we have. We are ready." Gilad cautioned, however, that the common ground Egypt and Israel previously shared on the tactical level is narrowing. -------------- -------------- GILAD WARNS ABOUT POSSIBLE IRANIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE NORTH -------------- -------------- ¶12. (C) Gilad closed the meeting by noting Israel's concern that Iran may try to influence Israel's March 28 general elections by "doing something spectacular " along Israel's northern border with Lebanon and Syria. He claimed that this had been done before. ********************************************* ******************** 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