REGULATORY HURDLES CONTINUE TO DELAY PLACEMENT OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 003045

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2012
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: REGULATORY HURDLES CONTINUE TO DELAY PLACEMENT OF
RED CRESCENT AMBULANCES IN EAST JERUSALEM

REF: OCTOBER 10 DCM MORENO EMAIL

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones; Reasons 1.4 (B and D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Regulatory roadblocks continue to delay
implementation of the MOU between Magen David Adom (MDA) and
the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS),specifically the
placement of five PRCS ambulances in East Jerusalem. MFA
Director of International Organizations and Human Rights
Simona Halperin told Embassy Refugee Reporting Officer on
October 18 that many of the final details were falling into
place. Nonetheless, regulatory requirements now appear
likely to delay the final approval of the ambulances at least
another week. END SUMMARY


2. (C) On October 18, MFA Director of International
Organizations and Human Rights Simona Halperin detailed a
number of "minor" problems that need to be addressed in order
to allow five PRCS ambulances to operate in East Jerusalem.

-- A Ministry of Health appraisal determined that the
coloring of the lower half of the PRCS ambulances is wrong
(it is the color for a different type of emergency vehicle)
and needs to be changed.

-- PRCS staff need to complete a one week training course for
Israeli certification, which Halperin said was scheduled to
begin October 21.

-- The PRCS needs to provide proof of Israeli-accepted
insurance for the vehicles.

-- Ministry of Transportation needs to register tests for the
vehicles (such as emissions standards) that Halperin offered
should only take a couple of hours.

Halperin portrayed all of these requirements as routine
matters that would be fairly simple to complete, and
expressed confidence that, assuming the PRCS staff completed
the one week of training, the ambulances could begin
operations before the end of October.


3. (C) Halperin subsequently reported additional requirements
that have to be met. Before the Ministry of Transportation
can do its technical checks, it needs to "verify the new
vehicles as ambulances in Israel." After it processes the
results, which Halperin said could take "a couple of days at
least," would come the emissions and other technical checks.
Halperin expressed doubt that these tests could begin with
the new Israeli work week starting October 21, saying she had
only received the previous day the customs registry and other
paperwork she had previously said the GOI needed to finish
clearing the vehicles. She said that she would try to
schedule the first technical check for Tuesday, October 23,
on the assumption that the paperwork would be complete.


4. (C) Halperin also mentioned another problem, namely how to
bring the ambulances, with their Palestinian Authority
license plates, into Israel for the checks. She suggested
transporting the ambulances by truck, and that somebody --
namely ICRC or PRCS - would need to pay for the shipping back
and forth for each inspection. Regional RefCoord confirmed
that ICRC has agreed to arrange transfer of the ambulances to
Jerusalem for the required checks.

5. (C) Halperin blamed at least part of the delay up to now
on the Palestinians for not sending the required
documentation expeditiously, complaining that it took ten
days to receive the necessary paperwork from the PRCS after
the GOI had detailed the requirements. (Note: The
Palestinian delay can probably be attributed to the general
slowdown in work during Ramadan. Similarly, the GOI's own
delay in sending the PRCS those requirements was due at least
in part to the Jewish High Holidays that closed GOI offices
for much of September.)

--------------
Stennbeck Views
--------------


6. (C) Per Stennbeck, former Finnish Foreign Minister
currently with the ICRC, briefed the DCM and a group of EU
Ambassadors October 9 in Tel Aviv on the ambulance situation.
While Stennbeck said that much progress had been made on the
issue, much of it thanks to Ambassador Jones' advocacy with
GOI officials, he also said that the "devil is in the
details" and expressed concern that GOI political will to
resolve this issue was being undercut at the operational
level. Stennbeck pointed to a series of bureaucratic
roadblocks imposed by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Transportation, and the IDF. Stennbeck expressed further
concern that things would go badly for the Israelis at the
upcoming International Conference of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent that begins November 26, and could create "political
complications" for the Annapolis conference. Stennbeck added
that if the ambulances were not operating at least two weeks
prior to the Red Cross Conference that his report would be
"brutal" on the Israelis.

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