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)

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SUMMARY
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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.

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KARNI: GOI TO OPEN CROSSING TODAY; ASSESS ON 24-HOUR BASIS
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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.

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GAZA AND WEST BANK TO BE LOCKED DOWN FOR PURIM
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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.

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ISRAEL REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE IN OPENING KEREM SHALOM
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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.

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...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.)

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...COORDINATING POSITIONS IN ADVANCE OF SULEIMAN VISIT
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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.

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GILAD WARNS ABOUT POSSIBLE IRANIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE NORTH
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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.

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