Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JERUSALEM1862
2007-09-05 15:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

ICRC REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

Tags:  PREF ICRC IS KWBG PHUM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8754
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1862/01 2481500
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051500Z SEP 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8923
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001862 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, PRM FOR CSANTOS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: PREF ICRC IS KWBG PHUM
SUBJECT: ICRC REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT/MAGEN DAVID ADOM MOU

REF: A. SECSTATE 63864


B. SANTOS - BELLINGER EMAIL 08/29/07

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001862

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, PRM FOR CSANTOS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: PREF ICRC IS KWBG PHUM
SUBJECT: ICRC REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT/MAGEN DAVID ADOM MOU

REF: A. SECSTATE 63864


B. SANTOS - BELLINGER EMAIL 08/29/07

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. On August 30, International Red Cross
Committee (ICRC) Field Coordinator Jean-Christophe Sandoz
reported to RefCoord that the August 29 meeting between the
Government of Israel (GoI),Palestinian Red Crescent Society
(PRCS) and Magen David Adom (MDA) laid a positive foundation
for implementation of the PRCS-MDA Memorandum of
Understanding signed in November 2005. He expressed
appreciation for the USG role in ensuring GoI flexibility on
implementing the MoU. As a result of the meeting, PRCS will
operate five ambulances under the registration of the Red
Crescent Maternity Hospital in East Jerusalem but with PRCS
markings. The ambulances will be new vehicles and operate
with Israeli license plates and permits from the Israeli
Ministry of Health while the drivers and medics will be a mix
of West Bank and East Jerusalem residents. Sandoz expected
the ambulances to be operating by mid-October. He said the
GoI seemed receptive to the ICRC proposal that the numbers of
pre-cleared PRCS ambulances and staff able to transfer
critical care patients from the West Bank into East Jerusalem
be increased. End Summary.

Five PRCS Ambulances To Operate In East Jerusalem
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) On August 29, GoI officials, PRCS Chairman Yunis
al-Khatib, MDA Chairman Noam Yifrach, ICRC Head of Delegation
and ICRC Field Coordinator Jean-Christophe Sandoz met to
discuss implementation of the PRCS-MDA MoU signed in November

2005. Sandoz provided RefCoord a readout of the meeting on
August 30. Sandoz expressed great appreciation for the USG
role in encouraging the GoI to resolve this issue. He
commented that all sides seemed to have prepared well for the
meeting and much progress was made.


3. (SBU) Sandoz stated that the following points had been
agreed to at the meeting:

-- Five ambulances will be registered under the Red Crescent

Maternity Hospital in East Jerusalem but will operate with
PRCS markings.

-- The drivers and paramedics will be a mix (Sandoz said
50-50, but this is not in writing) between West Bank and East
Jerusalem residents. Sandoz noted that PRCS does not
currently employ any East Jerusalem residents as all of its
operations had heretofore been exclusively in the West Bank
and Gaza. He also averred that the Israeli MFA agreed that
no distinction would be made between medics and drivers
despite the GoI regulation that West Bank residents are
prohibited from driving in Israel.

-- The five ambulances will serve residents of East
Jerusalem, but may operate within the West Bank as necessary.

-- Implementation will occur by mid-October.



4. (SBU) Sandoz reported that the MFA agreed to facilitate
the following "next steps":

-- ICRC and PRCS would work together to identify the five
ambulances, which cannot be drawn from the existing pool of
PRCS vehicles. Sandoz reported that there are five vehicles
now in Ramallah being outfitted with medical equipment that
ICRC hoped PRCS could register under the Red Crescent
Maternity Hospital.

-- The ambulances must be brought up to Israeli standards for
medical equipment.

-- The ambulances must be registered with Israeli license
plates.

-- The Israeli Ministry of Health must issue permits for the
ambulances to operate legally in Israel.

-- PRCS must hire new drivers and obtain work permits for the
West Bank resident drivers to access East Jerusalem.


Numbers of PRCS Ambulances Allowed
To Enter East Jerusalem Inadequate
--------------


JERUSALEM 00001862 002 OF 002



5. (C) Currently, six PRCS ambulances and 23 staff (drivers
and medics) are authorized by the GoI to transfer patients
from the West Bank to East Jerusalem hospitals for emergency
treatment. (Note: These ambulances are based in West Bank
and are unrelated to the five ambulances to operate in East
Jerusalem. End Note.) According to the current system,
soldiers at checkpoints are responsible for deciding to grant
or deny access. Soldiers may consult with the Civil
Administration Health Coordinator Dalia Bassah, who can make
the decision to grant or deny access over the telephone.
Sandoz noted that neither the IDF soldiers or Health
Coordinator have the medical training required to make good
determinations. The system has resulted in serious delays in
transiting critical care patients to East Jerusalem
hospitals, Sandoz said, overburdening the capacity of the six
authorized ambulances. In the August 29 meeting, ICRC
proposed that the GoI authorize another 14 ambulances (for a
total of 20) and another 60 - 70 staff (for a total of 80 -
100 medics and drivers) to meet the demand for patient
transfers. ICRC also requested that the Civil Administration
employ a medical doctor to conduct the telephone evaluations.
Sandoz said that both the MFA and Civil Administration
seemed receptive to these ideas. He opined that, in an ideal
world, the authorized ambulances would be granted access to
East Jerusalem hospitals regardless of the health status of
the patient. But this is unlikely, Sandoz concluded.


WALLES