UNSYG IN JERUSALEM MARCH 24-26

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000763 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UN IS SUBJECT: UNSYG IN JERUSALEM MARCH 24-26 REF: A) USUN NEW YORK 0183 B) TEL AVIV 0679 ¶1. (SBU) AS REPORTED REFTELS, UNSYG BAN KI-MOON WILL TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM AT THE END OF MARCH FOR MEETINGS WITH UN STAFF, AS WELL AS ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS. ACCORDING TO THE UN OFFICER PLANNING THE TRIP, THE UNSYG IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT BEN GURION AIRPORT LATE ON MARCH 24. UN OFFICIALS NOTED THAT THE ISRAELI MFA HAD RAISED VIGOROUS OBJECTIONS TO THE ARRIVAL TIME, WHICH IS ON A SATURDAY EVENING 30 MINUTES AFTER THE END OF THE JEWISH SABBATH. ¶2. (SBU) THE UNSYG WILL MEET WITH LOCAL UN STAFF AND TRAVEL TO RAMALLAH TO SEE PRESIDENT ABBAS AND OTHER PALESTINIANS ON MARCH 25. HE WILL MEET WITH PM OLMERT, FM LIVNI, VICE PM PERES, KNESSET SPEAKER ITZIK, AND POSSIBLY DEFMIN PERETZ ON MARCH 26. THE MFA HAS ALSO PLANNED A VISIT TO YAD VASHEM AND SHORT MEETINGS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE THREE ISRAELI SOLDIERS ABDUCTED NEAR THE GAZA AND LEBANESE BORDERS LAST SUMMER. THE UNSYG WILL DEPART EARLY JUNE 27, PROBABLY FOR A SHORT STOP IN JORDAN BEFORE CONTINUING TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR THE ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT. ¶3. (SBU) UN OFFICIALS NOTED THAT THEY HAD READ PRESS REPORTS ABOUT A VISIT TO THE REGION BY SECRETARY RICE IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. THE UNSYG'S PARTY HAS REQUESTED OVER 15 ROOMS IN THE DAVID CITADEL HOTEL IN JERUSALEM FOR THE DURATION OF THE VISIT. ********************************************* ******************** 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. ********************************************* ******************** JONES