Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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07AMMAN1672 | 2007-04-18 13:43:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Amman |
VZCZCXRO9404 OO RUEHROV DE RUEHAM #1672 1081343 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 181343Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8171 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE |
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001672 |
1. (C) Summary: The back-to-back visits to Jordan this week of Israel's Foreign Minister and a Knesset delegation are the first such visits since 2005 that the GOJ publicly acknowledged. Senior GOJ-GOI consultation, while frequent, has been mostly behind the scenes in recent years. The GOJ hopes this week's public visits will build momentum for regional peace efforts, and also produce progress toward an agreement on the transfer to Jordan of four Jordanians currently in Israeli prisons. End summary. 2. (C) Foreign Minister al-Khatib met with Israeli FM Tzipi Livni at a resort on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea on April 15. Khatib told Ambassador the two sides compared notes on recent efforts to revive the Arab peace initiative. Israeli emboff Jakob Raber told polcouns that Livni urged Khatib to help ensure that the Arab League peace committee does not complicate Israeli exchanges with Abu Mazen. 3. (C) Khatib also told Ambassador that he pressed Jordan's years-long effort to obtain the release of four Jordanians who are in Israeli prisons for violent acts committed against Israelis before the signing of the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. The two sides reportedly agree that the prisoners, once transferred to the GOJ, would serve eighteen more months in Jordanian jails. However, according to Israel's Amman Embassy, Israel needs written Jordanian assurance on this point, while the GOJ has so far agreed only to senior-level oral assurances. Israeli Ambassador Rosen told Ambassador that Livni said she would accelerate a release, so that it precedes any prisoner release related to Shalit. 4. (C) Advocates for the prisoners in Jordanian media and parliament regularly criticize Jordanian ministers for failing to obtain the prisoners' release. Their transfer would be a significant coup for the GOJ and for Khatib personally. A Knesset Delegation Too -------------------------- 5. (C) The speaker of the Israeli parliament (who is currently acting President) and four other MKs will arrive in Jordan April 19, according to Israeli EmbOff Raber. The delegation will meet with King Abdullah and the Prime Minister, and will visit Petra. As with the FM's visit, this will be the first Knesset delegation to visit Jordan publicly in several years. They come at the King's invitation, as part of his effort to expand Israeli-Arab dialogue on peace. He met on April 16 with a group of Palestinian peace advocates. Criticism -------------------------- 6. (SBU) As predictably as clockwork, Jordan's professional associations federation, representing lawyers, engineers, doctors and others, denounced the Livni visit, and complained that Jordan obtains little benefit from its peace treaty with Israel. Jordan's Islamists and others will likely pile on in coming days, especially after the Knesset delegation's visit becomes known. Comment -------------------------- 7. (C) Senior Israeli-Jordanian engagement on security issues and on regional peace efforts is close, but in recent years has been conducted out of public view, due chiefly to pressure on the GOJ from a Jordanian public opinion that has largely soured on the Israel-Jordan peace treaty and the Islamists who have exploited that public mood to domestic political gain. The visits signal a welcome return of GOJ readiness to endure public criticism of its positive relationship with Israel, and reflect the King's determination to do what he can to create a climate for diplomatic progress toward a two-state solution. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ HALE |