COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR FEBRUARY 19-20 VISIT TO

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000514

SIPDIS

CODEL
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN IS TU UK
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR FEBRUARY 19-20 VISIT TO
ISRAEL OF CODEL HARMAN

REF: STATE 19343


1. (SBU) Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem
warmly welcome the February 19-20, 2007 visit to Israel of
Representative Jane Harman (D-CA),member, House Energy and
Commerce Committee. Please note that all message traffic
concerning travel to Israel and the Occupied Territories
should be sent to both Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General
Jerusalem. Embassy Tel Aviv's visit officer will be
Political-Military Officer Michael C. Keays; phone:
972-3-519-7460; FAX: 972-3-519-7484; cell: 972-50-678-2308;
home phone: 972-9-958-9842; unclassified E-mail:
KeaysMC@state.gov; classified E-mail:
KeaysMC@state.sgov.gov. Consulate General Jerusalem's visit
officer will be Vice Consul Jeremy Caddel; phone:
972-2-622-7222; FAX: 972-2-628-5455; cell: 972-54-666-0652;
unclassified E-mail: CaddelJD@state.gov; classified E-mail:

SIPDIS
CaddelJD@state.sgov.gov. Embassy staff will greet and assist
Representative Harman upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport.
Room reservations for Representative Harman have been made at
the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, 7 King David Street,
Jerusalem; phone: 972-2-621-1111; FAX: 972-2-621-1000. The
embassy room rate for a single room is USD 230/night and
includes breakfast, VAT tax, and Executive Lounge privileges.


2. (SBU) The tentative itinerary/agenda for Representative
Harman (and CODEL Kyl, which she will join while in Israel)
is as follows:

Monday, 02/19:
0700 Rep Harman arrives at Ben Gurion Airport.
Embassy staff will greet and assist. Ground transportation
to the David Citadel Hotel and check-in.
0800 Breakfast with Benjamin Netanyahu.
0930-1130 Meetings at the Consulate with Consulate staff,
Salam Fayyad, and USSC LTG Keith Dayton
1145-1300 Old City tour.
1300-1330 Ground transportation to the Knesset.
1330-1530 Meeting with members of the Knesset's Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee.
1530-1600 Meeting with FM Livni.
1600-1620 Meeting with Knesset Speaker and Acting President
Dalia Itzik.
1620-1700 Ground transportation to the Prime Minister's
Office.
1700-1800 Meeting with PM Olmert.
2000 Dinner hosted by Knesset members Yuval Steinitz
and Avigdor Itzchaky at the King David Hotel.
RON Jerusalem

Tuesday, 02/20:
0700-0830 Ground transportation to Palmachim Air Base.
0830-1000 Tour of the Arrow Missile Site.
1000-1100 (TBC) Ground transportation to site of meeting
with Mossad Chief Meir Dagan.
1100-1230 (TBC) Meeting with Mossad Chief Meir Dagan.
1230-1300 Ground transportation to Embassy Tel Aviv.
1300-1500 Meetings/Personal time at Embassy Tel Aviv.
1500-1545 Ground transportation to Ben Gurion Airport.
1730 Rep. Harman and CDR Miranda depart Tel Aviv via
TK 1187. Embassy staff will assist with departure.


3. (U) All USG visitors to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank are
responsible for reading this message thoroughly and complying
with its instructions, and are required to comply with U.S.
policy contained in Department of State cable 342724 (100514Z
OCT 90). This classified cable is available for review
through the office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs,
Department of State (NEA/IPA, Room 6247, 202-647-3672). All
official visitors to Israel with secret clearances or higher
should review 12 FAM 262.3 prior to arrival. Copies of this
FAM are available in the Regional Security Offices in Tel
Aviv and Jerusalem. Since the opening of a new airport
terminal in November 2004, Israeli security procedures have
been significantly strengthened and formalized. All official
visitors, regardless of rank or means of transportation into
and out of Israel, should expect to be questioned with
respect to their luggage, purchases, and possibly with
respect to their activities during their stay in Israel.


4. (U) Threat assessment: The threat of terrorism and
violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is high. There is
no information indicating that this particular visit is
threatened or targeted. Government employees should assume
that they are subjected to technical and physical
surveillance. Visitors should be scrupulous in securing

classified and sensitive information in the Embassy or
Consulate General and assume that any materials left in hotel
rooms or public or semi-private places may be compromised.


5. (U) Travel Policy: In light of the current security
situation, the following measures are in effect for all U.S.
Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem personnel,
as well as all USG official visitors. On the advice of the
Regional Security Officer, exceptions to this policy may be
granted on a case-by-case basis upon approval of the
Ambassador in Tel Aviv or the Consul General in Jerusalem,
respectively.

A) Throughout Israel, travelers are strongly urged to avoid
areas of public gathering or assembly, such as cafes, malls,
restaurants, and movie theaters, especially during peak hours
of business. Discos and nightclubs are off-limits.

B) The use of public buses and trains, and their respective
terminals/stations, is prohibited.

C) Travelers must exercise caution when out in public and
should report suspicious activity to the police and RSO
immediately.

D) Official travel to the West Bank is authorized on a
case-by-case basis when determined by the Consul General to
be mission-critical. For limited, personal travel, U.S.
government personnel and family members are permitted to
travel through the West Bank, using only Routes 1 and 90, to
reach the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge or the Dead Sea coast
near Ein Gedi and Masada. Each such transit requires prior
notification to the Consulate General's security office and
must occur during daylight hours. U.S. Government personnel
and family members are permitted personal travel on Route 443
between Modi'in and Jerusalem during the daylight hours only.


E) Official and personal travel to the Gaza Strip, including
to the Palestinian-controlled portions of entry/crossing
points into the Gaza Strip, remains prohibited. Under policy
guidance issued by the Secretary of State, the Consul General
may grant rare exceptions to this prohibition only for
official, mission-critical travel by the named special envoys
of the President.

F) Jerusalem's Old City is off-limits during the hours of
darkness, and on Fridays between the hours of 1100-1400.
Following the February 9, 2007 clashes on the Haram
Al-Sharif/Temple Mount related to the continued excavation
work taking place near the Dung Gate and the Western Wall,
there continues to be a possibility of protests in and around
the Old City. Due to the possibility that there could be
disturbances, we are advising all staff to avoid the area
around the Western Wall and Dung Gate.

G) Travelers to Jerusalem are urged to remain vigilant,
especially in the commercial and downtown areas of West
Jerusalem and the city center. Israeli security services
report that they continue to receive information of planned
terrorist attacks in and around Jerusalem.

H) Also in Jerusalem, the Tayelit or Haas Promenade (vehicle
overlook) located in Armon Hanatziv and bordering the
Palestinian Village of Abu-Tor is open for USG personnel
during daylight hours only. Both the area below the
Promenade and the village of Abu-Tor remain off-limits. In
addition, due to reported increases in criminal activity,
employees should avoid the outlying villages surrounding East
Jerusalem.

I) Northern Israel/Golan Heights: While there is a cessation
of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the situation
remains tense and a possible resumption of sporadic violence
cannot be ruled out. Visitors to the Golan Heights should be
warned that due to unmarked or poorly marked minefields, they
should walk only on established roads or trails and pay close
attention to warning signs and notices in the area.

J) Country clearance for official travel to post will be
reviewed on an individual and mission-critical basis. All
TDY visitors at post for more than one week are required to
attend the security newcomer briefing presented by the
Regional Security Office (RSO). Sponsoring offices will
incorporate this briefing into visit schedules as required.
Official visitors here less than one week are strongly

encouraged to contact the RSO for the most recent security
related information.


6. (U) It has been longstanding USG policy for Administration
officials not to travel to territories captured by Israel in
the 1967 War (the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East
Jerusalem) escorted by Government of Israel officials, either
civilian or military. Overflights of these areas have been
permitted in certain circumstances. Security situation
permitting, Administration officials may travel to the West
Bank or Gaza in the company of Consulate General personnel.
As noted above, however, due to the October 2003 attack on
Embassy personnel in Gaza, all travel to Gaza has been
suspended for the foreseeable future. The Embassy recommends
that Congressional and Staff delegations follow these USG
guidelines when visiting Israel.


7. (U) Embassy support costs: Visitors or their
agencies/bureaus must provide fund cites to cover requested
commercial services such as equipment, supplies, and
transportation, as well as required Embassy/Consulate General
overtime. In order to maintain their traditionally high
standards of visitor support, Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate
General Jerusalem generally require an appropriate fund cite
to cover per diem costs of control officers and motorpool
personnel when assigned to visits. If security personnel are
required, the fund cite must cover their expenses as well.
The Embassy/Consulate General will provide estimated costs
upon request.


8. (U) Computer Access: TDY visitors requiring computer
network access should so inform their control officers at
least five days in advance of their arrival in Israel and
Jerusalem.

-- SBU systems: Visitors who enjoy access to their home post
SBU computer system via Outlook Web Access, and who have
requested SBU computer access through their visit officer,
will receive logons upon arrival allowing them to access that
system from terminals at the Embassy and Consulate General,
respectively. Visitors who are unsure whether their home
post supports Outlook Web Access should contact their local
systems administrator before commencing travel. Visitors who
do not have access to their home post SBU systems via Outlook
Web Access must provide the Embassy and Consulate General
with the fully qualified domain name and the IP address of
their home e-mail server. That information is necessary for
Embassy and Consulate General personnel to configure the
visitor's access to his or her home post SBU account, and is
available from the visitor's home post SBU systems manager.

-- Classified systems: Visitors requesting access to
classified computer systems must provide front-channel
confirmation that they possess at least a "secret" clearance.
No access to home post classified e-mail accounts is
possible from either the Embassy or Consulate General.
Accordingly, Embassy and Consulate General information system
personnel will be able to provide only new, separate
classified e-mail accounts accessible only at their
respective posts.


9. (U) Visas: Israel requires visas for holders of
diplomatic and official passports. All personnel visiting
Israel on official business must obtain visas from the
nearest Israeli Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in
Israel. Visitors traveling on tourist passports do not need
to obtain a visa in advance.

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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.
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JONES