ISRAEL-EGYPT: FILM CONTROVERSY OVERSHADOWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000732

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV EG IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL-EGYPT: FILM CONTROVERSY OVERSHADOWS
LIVNI-ABOUL GHEIT MEETING AND CLOUDS BILATERAL RELATIONS

REF: CAIRO 0624

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.


1. (C) Summary: FM Tzipi Livni is concerned that distorted
reports about a recent Israeli documentary film is damaging
both GOE-GOI relations and the Mubarak government.
Discussion of the film about the IDF's Shaked reconnaissance
unit during the 1967 war dominated FM Tzipi Livni's meeting
with her Egyptian counterpart in Brussels on March 6 and
resulted in the postponement of planned trips by high-ranking
GOI officials, reportedly at the suggestion of Egyptian
officials. The GOI is attempting to downplay the incident,
but it underscores the underlying tensions in relations
between Israel and the first Arab state with which it made
peace. Perhaps in an effort to calm the situation, a senior
IDF officer, speaking publicly March 7, praised security
cooperation with Egypt and refrained from its usual public
complaints that the GOE should do more to prevent smuggling
from Sinai into Gaza and the Negev. In addition to the film
and smuggling, Livni and FM Aboul Gheit also discussed the
upcoming Arab League summit and agreed to seek continued
strong USG participation in the MFO. End summary.

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Film controversy raises tensions
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2. (C) According to the MFA, most of the Livni-Aboul Gheit
meeting on March 6 in Brussels focused on the Israeli
documentary film about the IDF's Shaked reconnaissance unit
during the 1967 war, which was broadcast on Israel's
state-owned Channel One on February 26. Reading from the
meeting report, an MFA official told PolCouns that Aboul
Gheit complained that the film was "making waves and leaving
scars" in the Egyptian public. He asked the GOI to "look
into" the allegations that the unit killed 250 Egyptian POWs.
The head of the MFA's Egypt desk said that Aboul Gheit made
no mention of a formal GOI investigation during the
discussion, but "demanded" one afterwards when speaking with
reporters. According to one of her special assistants, Livni
believes that Aboul Gheit exacerbated the situation with his
comments, but that President Mubarak and other GOE leaders
are aware that it is in their own interest to overcome the
dispute as quickly as possible. Livni released a public
statement late on March 6 expressing "Israel's concern that
certain elements in Egypt are misrepresenting the documentary
film 'The Spirit of Shaked,' without checking the facts or
substantiating what actually happened, with the intent of
sabotaging our two countries' relations."


3. (C) Livni requested Aboul Gheit's assistance in reducing
tensions caused by the film, which she insisted had not
mentioned any murder of prisoners, a point also underscored
in a statement issued by the film's producer to the Israeli
media. The MFA explained to poloff that the question raised
in the film was whether a battle fought by the IDF unit with
Palestinian commandos (in the Egyptian army) had been
necessary at all considering the strategic situation at that
point in the war, when it was already clear that Israel had
defeated its Arab foes.


4. (C) The head of the MFA's Egypt desk confirmed that his
counterpart in Cairo had convoked the Israeli Ambassador
(reftel). The Egyptian Charge had been similarly summoned to
Jerusalem on March 6 and 7 to receive complaints about
Egyptian parliamentarians allegedly calling for the murder of
the Israeli Ambassador. The Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv
confirmed that they have received a copy of the film from the
GOI and are in the process of translating it and preparing a
transcript.


5. (C) The MFA confirmed press reports that Infrastructure
Minster Binyamin Ben Eliezer (who commanded the units
involved in the 1967 incident) and MOD Political Director
Amos Gilad had both postponed plans to travel to Cairo to
meet with Egyptian officials. They reportedly did so after
receiving "recommendations" to reconsider their travel from
EGIS Chief Omar Suleiman's office. The MFA (please protect)
added that Ben Eliezer had written a personal letter to
Suleiman with his own recollections of the battle described
in the film.

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Other issues: Sinai, Arab League summit, MFO
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6. (C) On other issues, Aboul Gheit told Livni that Lebanon
would be the central focus of the upcoming Arab League
summit. Aboul Gheit reportedly said he did not expect the

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summit to agree on any changes to the Arab League peace plan
to address Israeli concerns about the plan's handling of the
Palestinian refugee issue.


7. (C) While discussing the Sinai and Gaza, Livni said Egypt
needed to be more vigorous in stopping smuggling of weapons,
explosives, and money. Aboul Gheit promised to pass these
comments to Suleiman. While discussing ways to secure the
border, Aboul Gheit maintained that the Egyptian public would
oppose the idea of building a water-filled trench along the
Philadelphi Corridor. Note: In a briefing at the
Likud-oriented Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs March 7,
IDF Southern Commander MG Yoav Gallant said that Egypt has a
strong interest in preventing terrorism in the Sinai and in
Israel. He added that cooperation has improved in the past
year, with the two countries working together to solve
security challenges. He acknowledged that smuggling in the
region was nothing new, but that it had primarily been an
issue for the police until terrorists began taking advantage
of the routes. In Gallant's opinion, a physical barrier
along the border would help, although he said that such a
solution would take years to construct. Gallant's comments
differ from the usual GOI public criticism of Egypt for
failing to control its border. The Egyptian Embassy welcomed
these remarks, telling poloff that they had asked the IDF to
make such statements public after hearing a similar message
during the most recent GOI-GOE military-to-military committee
meeting at the end of February. End note.


8. (C) Livni and Aboul Gheit agreed to oppose the possible
withdrawal or reduction of US military personnel in the MFO.
Aboul Gheit said he hoped the USG would reject any
recommendations to take such a step.


9. (C) Comment: The storm in Cairo over the Israeli
documentary underscores the current fragility of Israel's
relations with Egypt. While Israeli officials frequently
express frustration with the GOE over a wide range of issues,
and especially what they see as Egypt's lax handling of the
smuggling into Gaza, they also admit that they are even more
worried about what may happen after Mubarak passes from the
scene. General Gallant's public remarks may represent an
effort to send a more positive message about the state of
Israeli-Egyptian security cooperation after months of
Egypt-bashing by a number of Israeli officials.

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