Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TELAVIV1826
2008-08-18 14:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
ISRAEL: MFA DISCUSSES RESPONSE TO CRISIS IN GEORGIA
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHTV #1826 2311459 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 181459Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8041 INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2028 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0114 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 0110 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001826
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2018
TAGS: PREL MOPS RS GG AJ IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL: MFA DISCUSSES RESPONSE TO CRISIS IN GEORGIA
REF: TEL AVIV 1762
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Cunningham for reasons: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001826
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2018
TAGS: PREL MOPS RS GG AJ IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL: MFA DISCUSSES RESPONSE TO CRISIS IN GEORGIA
REF: TEL AVIV 1762
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Cunningham for reasons: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 14, PolOff and Pol-MilOff met with
several MFA officials to discuss the crisis in Georgia and
Israel's response. In separate meetings, EmbOffs met Hillel
Newman, FM Livni's chief policy advisor on Europe and
Eurasia; Gary Koren, Director of the Eurasia Department; and
Roey Gilad, Director of the Export Controls Department. All
three officials said the GOI was seriously considering the
request received in Washington to reverse the decision to
reduce Israeli military assistance to Georgia, but added that
they are now proceeding carefully with Georgia within the
context of their relationship with Russia. They said that
the MFA and MOD plan to hold a joint meeting during the week
of August 18 to discuss the way forward. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Newman told EmbOffs that Livni had recently spoken to
Russian FM Lavrov, as well as the Georgian FM, while
arranging the evacuation of several hundred Israelis from
Georgia. He said that during the conversation, Lavrov thanked
Livni for the decision to restrict military support to
Georgia, an indication that Russia is watching Israel's
actions closely.
3. (C) In a separate conversation, Eurasia Director Koren
emphasized that the GOI is taking the USG request to continue
military support to Georgia very seriously and underlined
that the Israeli goal is not Russian "satisfaction", but
explained that it is important for Israel to prevent Russian
"dissatisfaction" leading potentially to Russian transfers
of increasingly sophisticated arms to Iran and Syria. (Note:
Other GOI officials have told us the Russians have
explicitly threatened to link sales of advanced weapon
systems, especially air defense systems, to Iran and Syria
with Israeli behavior on issues of key concern to Russia.)
Koren also said that Israel had been worried for some time
about providing offensive weapons to Georgia out of fear that
the Georgians would over-reach, which it appears they did.
He added that the GOI was not surprised by the war, given the
recent rising tensions and Russian troop movements.
4. (C) So far, Koren said that Israel had been focusing on
the immediate reaction to the crisis and was just starting
its strategic thinking about the ramifications of reductions
in military assistance in this new context. Israel had just
evacuated approximately 600 citizens out of Georgia on four
flights over the previous two days, and started providing
medical humanitarian assistance - medicine, doctors, and
potentially ambulances - to the affected areas. Overall,
Koren acknowledged that Israel "needs to mend its
relationship" with Georgia, to a certain extent. However, he
noted that while the two countries traditionally have strong
ties, non-security trade with Georgia is small, around USD50
million a year, and the regional focus of Israel's interest
is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and Azerbaijan.
5. (C) There are also 12,000 Jews living in Georgia, Koren
said, and the GOI is concerned about incidents of
anti-Semitism. While anti-Semitism is historically very low
in Georgia, he explained, there seem to be attempts in the
Russian media to blame the outbreak of the war on the Jews by
pointing out that the Georgian Minister of Defense, the
Georgian minister in charge of territorial negotiations and
several other high-ranking Georgian officials directly
involved in the issue are Jewish.
6. (C) In a third conversation, Export Controls Director
Gilad acknowledged Washington-based conversations with the
Israeli DCM on the matter, and confirmed the MFA-MOD meeting
later this week to discuss a way forward. He pressed for
details of any changes in U.S. military assistance to
Georgia, and requested both sides keep the other informed.
********************************************* ********************
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.
********************************************* ********************
CUNNINGHAM
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2018
TAGS: PREL MOPS RS GG AJ IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL: MFA DISCUSSES RESPONSE TO CRISIS IN GEORGIA
REF: TEL AVIV 1762
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Cunningham for reasons: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 14, PolOff and Pol-MilOff met with
several MFA officials to discuss the crisis in Georgia and
Israel's response. In separate meetings, EmbOffs met Hillel
Newman, FM Livni's chief policy advisor on Europe and
Eurasia; Gary Koren, Director of the Eurasia Department; and
Roey Gilad, Director of the Export Controls Department. All
three officials said the GOI was seriously considering the
request received in Washington to reverse the decision to
reduce Israeli military assistance to Georgia, but added that
they are now proceeding carefully with Georgia within the
context of their relationship with Russia. They said that
the MFA and MOD plan to hold a joint meeting during the week
of August 18 to discuss the way forward. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Newman told EmbOffs that Livni had recently spoken to
Russian FM Lavrov, as well as the Georgian FM, while
arranging the evacuation of several hundred Israelis from
Georgia. He said that during the conversation, Lavrov thanked
Livni for the decision to restrict military support to
Georgia, an indication that Russia is watching Israel's
actions closely.
3. (C) In a separate conversation, Eurasia Director Koren
emphasized that the GOI is taking the USG request to continue
military support to Georgia very seriously and underlined
that the Israeli goal is not Russian "satisfaction", but
explained that it is important for Israel to prevent Russian
"dissatisfaction" leading potentially to Russian transfers
of increasingly sophisticated arms to Iran and Syria. (Note:
Other GOI officials have told us the Russians have
explicitly threatened to link sales of advanced weapon
systems, especially air defense systems, to Iran and Syria
with Israeli behavior on issues of key concern to Russia.)
Koren also said that Israel had been worried for some time
about providing offensive weapons to Georgia out of fear that
the Georgians would over-reach, which it appears they did.
He added that the GOI was not surprised by the war, given the
recent rising tensions and Russian troop movements.
4. (C) So far, Koren said that Israel had been focusing on
the immediate reaction to the crisis and was just starting
its strategic thinking about the ramifications of reductions
in military assistance in this new context. Israel had just
evacuated approximately 600 citizens out of Georgia on four
flights over the previous two days, and started providing
medical humanitarian assistance - medicine, doctors, and
potentially ambulances - to the affected areas. Overall,
Koren acknowledged that Israel "needs to mend its
relationship" with Georgia, to a certain extent. However, he
noted that while the two countries traditionally have strong
ties, non-security trade with Georgia is small, around USD50
million a year, and the regional focus of Israel's interest
is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and Azerbaijan.
5. (C) There are also 12,000 Jews living in Georgia, Koren
said, and the GOI is concerned about incidents of
anti-Semitism. While anti-Semitism is historically very low
in Georgia, he explained, there seem to be attempts in the
Russian media to blame the outbreak of the war on the Jews by
pointing out that the Georgian Minister of Defense, the
Georgian minister in charge of territorial negotiations and
several other high-ranking Georgian officials directly
involved in the issue are Jewish.
6. (C) In a third conversation, Export Controls Director
Gilad acknowledged Washington-based conversations with the
Israeli DCM on the matter, and confirmed the MFA-MOD meeting
later this week to discuss a way forward. He pressed for
details of any changes in U.S. military assistance to
Georgia, and requested both sides keep the other informed.
********************************************* ********************
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.
********************************************* ********************
CUNNINGHAM