MOD DG BUCHRIS ON WEST BANK AND GAZA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001192

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IS KPAL
SUBJECT: MOD DG BUCHRIS ON WEST BANK AND GAZA

REF: TEL AVIV 1177

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones. Reason 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with MOD Director
General (DG) Pinchas Buchris to reaffirm MOD support for
ongoing efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian security
cooperation in the northern West Bank. The Ambassador
offered to assist the MOD should they require U.S. forensic
expertise to identify remains of Israeli soldiers killed in
Lebanon that were recently returned to Israel. He asked the
MOD and IDF for assistance in helping the USG better
understand how to coordinate efforts to facilitate the
movement of Palestinian students in and out of Gaza. Buchris
informed the Ambassador that a Government of Israel (GOI)
decision on next steps in Gaza had been postponed until after
PM Olmert's return to Israel on June 6; hence,
Political-Security Director MG (res.) Amos Gilad would not
travel to Cairo beforehand. Buchris confirmed to the
Ambassador that the Israeli Air Force will submit a letter of
request (LOR) for further information on the land-based
Phalanx Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) system for
possible use along the Gaza periphery. End Summary.

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NORTHERN WEST BANK PILOT PROJECT
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2. (SBU) The Ambassador opened by thanking DG Buchris for
his efforts in facilitating the Bethlehem Investment
Conference (BIC) in May. Regarding other quality-of-life
initiatives in the West Bank, the Ambassador recounted a
recent discussion he had had with MOD Military Secretary BG
Eitan Dangot, who had promised to outline in writing what
sort of steps the GOI was taking regarding checkpoints in the
West Bank. The Ambassador also shared with Buchris a U.S.
Security Coordinator (USSC) generated assessment regarding
some thirty patrols or incursions by the IDF into the Jenin
area of the northern West Bank over the past three weeks.
The Ambassador noted that during the May 4-20 period, the PA
had arrested some 85 individuals while Israeli security
forces had detained 27.


3. (SBU) DG Buchris responded "quality was as important as
quantity" and reiterated GOI concerns about a "revolving
door" policy by the PA. Nonetheless, he said "we appreciate
what the Palestinians are starting to do," and he hoped that
they would start tackling terrorist cells in the Jenin area.
Noting that the northern West Bank pilot project was chiefly
the IDF's purview, he turned to J5 Col. Shimon Arad, who
remarked that the USSC data contradicted IDF information
(only five incursions since the pilot project began o/a May
4). Arad also claimed that the Palestinians are pleased with
coordination with the IDF: "We're allowing them to work
anywhere they want; we're not hindering them." Arad
mentioned only two areas where the IDF required advance
coordination (near the security barrier and near the Dotan A
and B settlements); otherwise, "coordination occurred on an
hourly basis between COGAT and the Palestinians." Arad
indicated that the PA had actually arrested nearly 130,
mostly criminals and car thieves, which he said had generated
a very positive atmosphere in the Jenin area. He opined that
PA counter-terrorism activity remained "very limited."


4. (C) The Ambassador asked whether the IDF was sharing
intelligence on terrorist cells with the PA security forces.
Col. Arad affirmed that they had shared "bits of information"
with them, and underscored that the Major General Gadi Shamni
of the IDF Central Command had ordered this information flow
to continue. Arad also noted that Central Command was
formulating recommendations this week regarding other cities
where the IDF could allow greater Palestinian responsibility.
Buchris added that it was the security establishment's
intention to give responsibility to the Palestinians in areas
where the separation barrier is complete. Buchris and Arad
added that the Palestinian security forces have been allowed
greater freedom of movement to the Jordan Valley, both in
buses and in a number of licensed, individual vehicles.


5. (SBU) Col. Arad advocated a continuity of presence
regarding Palestinian security forces deployed in the Jenin
area. Depth of Palestinian engagement in a locality was more
important than geographic expansion, in his view, and should
be married with economic initiatives that would necessarily
be long-term in duration. Arad noted that some 220 of the
initial 680 Palestinian security forces, including some
Presidential Guard units that had received training in
Jordan, had been dispatched to Bethlehem for the BIC.
Regarding the NSF battalion that has just returned from
training in Jordan, Col. Arad posited that it should be
deployed as an organic battalion working in a defined
structure, i.e. in the Jenin area. Arad said that the
Palestinians were considering deploying part of the NSF to
Jericho as a rapid deployment force and sending others back
to Jordan for further training.


6. (SBU) Regarding economic initiatives, Buchris affirmed
that the GOI would permit Israeli Arabs to travel to Jenin.
"We won't publish it, but will grant permission (for them) to
go." Buchris claimed that the German initiative in the Jenin
area was going "smoothly" and that electricity and water
infrastructure had been provided. "If there are any problems
with Jenin projects, come to this table and we'll resolve
it," Buchris promised the Ambassador. Buchris noted,
however, that he had not approved a private silo project,
which might have created a monopoly that could have
contributed to corruption in the region. Regarding a
proposed Turkish hospital project near Tarkumiya, Buchris
acknowledged that this was a complex and sensitive project
and that the security services were not enthusiastic.
Nonetheless, he said the MOD would put forward a possibly
positive recommendation to the government soon.

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SHORT RANGE ROCKET DEFENSE
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7. (C) Director General Buchris told the Ambassador that the
Israel Air Force (IAF) will submit a letter of request (LOR)
for further information on the Counter-Rocket, Artillery,
Mortar (C-RAM) system, with the stated intent of looking to
purchase a few of the LCMR radars, primarily to help with
mortar detection and warning. Buchris indicated that for now
they are not interested in the land-based Phalanx gun, mostly
because of the difficulties inherent in deciding where to
locate the guns and the psychological effect of having the
sound of a gun firing off in populated areas, for example
next to a school. The Ambassador informed Buchris, who
appeared unaware, that the C-RAM gun does not sound like a
standard machine gun. He explained that the sound is more of
a buzzing sound, and this should not deter them from
considering the gun for protecting the population. Buchris
appeared further interested after learning this.


8. (C) Buchris also stated he hopes the U.S. and Israel will
work on the Light Blade solid state laser system together in
a cooperative effort. He explained that U.S. assistance will
lead to a quicker development of the system. The Ambassador
explained that for the Rafael-developed Iron Dome system, it
will help the U.S. greatly to have more detailed information
on how the Israelis plan multi-year funding internally. This
information will demonstrate a commitment from the Israelis
that will help the U.S. to determine whether or not to aid in
the full production funding. Buchris indicated that he would
be meeting with Minister of Defense Barak on this soon and
would make that point clear.

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Palestinian Students - Gaza
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9. (C) In conclusion, the Ambassador asked Buchris and
Lt.Col. Beaudoin of the office of the Coordinator of
Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to help us
better understand how to convey coordination requests to
facilitate the movement of Palestinian students into and out
of Gaza. Beaudoin claimed that the system was not broken and
that Major General Mishlev of COGAT -- not the Israeli
Embassy or MFA -- should remain the focal point for
U.S.-Israeli coordination. Beaudoin indicated that COGAT had
recently facilitated a number of USAID requests successfully
in this manner, but he did not address why FY2007 Fulbright
grantees or other long-pending grantees, still have not been
permitted to exit Gaza for visa interviews and onward travel.
When the Ambassador asked whether educational exchanges of
this sort constituted a humanitarian case and whether it
raised operational or policy questions in the eyes of the IDF
and MOD, neither Buchris nor Beaudoin provided a definitive
answer. (Note: As reported reftel, COGAT Commander MG
Mishlev told the DCM June 3 that the GOI does not count
students among the humanitarian cases eligible to leave Gaza
under Israel's current restrictive policy.)

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JONES