U.S. ARCHIVIST VIEWS ORIENT HOUSE DOCUMENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002171 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SCUL PGOV KWBG IS SUBJECT: U.S. ARCHIVIST VIEWS ORIENT HOUSE DOCUMENTS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On September 2, U.S. National Archivist Dr. Allen Weinstein and Director of the Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division of the National Archives and Records Administration, Michael Carlson, viewed documents seized by Israel from the Orient House in 2001. The two were accompanied by Israeli National Archivist Dr. Yehoshua Freundlich. Israel cites the sensitive nature of these documents, which are under the control of the Ministry of Internal Security (MIS),as the reason for generally denying access and not returning the documents to the PLO. The visit of the U.S. Archivist is part of a joint U.S. - Canadian initiative to organize cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian archivists by providing combined training and digitization assistance to the two groups. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project, which covers records from both the Orient House and private collections, is expected to be signed by the end of the year. END SUMMARY -------------- Orient House Background -------------- ¶2. (U) Before the Second Intifada, PLO officials used the Orient House to hold meetings with foreign diplomats and to conduct other PLO business. Originally the Al Husseini house, the Orient House was established as a PLO office in 1983 under the name of the Arab Scientific Association. The Orient House was closed during the First Intifada, but reopened in 1992, following the Madrid Conference. The Oslo Accords also permitted operation of the Orient House, but specifically excluded Palestinian Authority (PA) activities there, or anywhere in Jerusalem. ¶3. (U) Israel closed the Orient House again in August 2001 at the height of the Second Intifada, claiming that it was being used by the PA in contradiction to previous agreements. In April 2002, Israel released seized financial records to support a second claim that terrorist activities were being organized from Orient House. The PA has called for the reopening of the Orient House. The GOI has renewed the closure of the Orient House, and seven other Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, every six months since 2001, most recently on August 6. -------------- - Little Care in Storage of Orient House Records -------------- - ¶4. (SBU) On September 2, Israeli Archivist Yehoshua Freundlich brought Weinstein and Carlson to the compound where documents taken from the Orient House are stored (NOTE: EmbOffs were not invited. End note). Freundlich had seen the documents for the first time the day before. The team spent approximately 30 minutes at the site sifting through boxes of documents, which are stored in cargo containers at a police impound facility outside of Jerusalem. ¶5. (SBU) Weinstein and Carlson were only permitted a general survey of the conditions of the documents, and were not able to look closely at the holdings. Weinstein noted that the records, which seemed to include some land holding documents, were stored without concern for preservation or organization, and without any climate control mechanisms. He also noted that a thick layer of dust covered everything and said he doubted anyone had inspected the documents in years. -------------- -- Difficulties Expected in Orient House Archiving -------------- -- ¶6. (SBU) In a follow-up meeting with the Director of the Embassy's American Center in Jerusalem (D/ACJ),Freundlich said that he was unsurprised by the condition of the Orient House materials, and noted that the materials appeared to only date from around 2000 and do not constitute historical archives. He said that he had only found "office materials and computers: some documents monitoring the Israeli press, documents related to Palestinian land claims and Israeli settlements, financial information, receipts and grants, and lots of office stationery." ¶7. (SBU) Freundlich also said the GOI would return the Orient House library books if the PLO showed proof of ownership, but the Palestinians are not interested and "don't want them." NOTE: The Palestinian owners of the books have told U.S. officials that the GOI offered to return the books as long as they were removed from Jerusalem. The Palestinians refused, saying that the library, which is not associated with the PA, is a Jerusalem institution and should stay in Jerusalem. End Note. ¶8. (SBU) Freundlich said he is willing to go through the Orient House documents, but he has had trouble securing permission from Ministry of Internal Security. If he received permission, Freundlich thought it would be possible to include international archivists in the process, as proposed by the MOU, but not Palestinians. Freundlich told D/ACJ that only international pressure would get Minister of Internal Security Dichter to TEL AVIV 00002171 002 OF 002 authorize this project. -------------- MOU Almost Ready; Goes Beyond Orient House -------------- ¶9. (U) Despite the issues with the Orient House records, Freundlich said that he anticipates that Israel and the Palestinians will sign the archiving MOU with the USG and Canada in late October or early November. The MOU also covers possible digitization of privately held records, and Weinstein viewed some of these holdings during his trip. This included a pre-1948 photography collection at the Um El Fahm art gallery in Haifa and a newspaper archive held by the Givat Haviva Education Foundation. ¶10. (U) U.S. National Archivist Dr. Allen Weinstein did not have the opportunity to clear on this cable.