Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TELAVIV263
2008-02-01 11:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
A/S BURNS' JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH MFA DG
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHTV #0263/01 0321137 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 011137Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5248 INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 8980 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 6454
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000263
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018
TAGS: CASC IS KWBG MCAP MOPS PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: A/S BURNS' JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH MFA DG
ABRAMOVICH
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000263
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018
TAGS: CASC IS KWBG MCAP MOPS PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: A/S BURNS' JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH MFA DG
ABRAMOVICH
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: Israeli MFA Director General Aharon
Abramovitch updated U/S Burns January 24 on recent meetings
between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams, noting
that despite the previous day's incidents on the Egypt-Gaza
border, the teams met that day. Abramovitch expressed the
GOI,s hope that the U.S. would not support any UNSC
presidential statement regarding Gaza. U/S Burns reminded
Abramovitch that the UNSC is still waiting for the Israeli
report on their use of cluster bombs during the 2006 Second
Lebanon War. U/S Burns also raised the matter of problems
that Arab and Palestinian Americans encounter at Ben Gurion
airport. End summary.
--------------
Update on Negotiations on Core Issues
--------------
2. (C) MFA DG Abramovitch updated U/S Burns on the
negotiation of core issues that started ten days earlier.
Abramovitch noted that despite the problems the day before in
Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian teams met and discussed the
core issues. Although the GOI originally envisioned that
different negotiation committees would address distinct
issues, the teams decided to discuss all issues in one small
group. The Israeli team was led by FM Tzipi Livni, and the
Palestinian team was led by former Palestinian Authority (PA)
PM Ahmed Qurei (Abu Alaa).
3. (C) Abramovitch said that the GOI is committed to
continuing dialog on the core issues, but cautioned that the
Palestinians may not want to continue if the situation in
Gaza worsens.
--------------
General Fraser,s Imminent Arrival
--------------
4. (C) Ambassador Jones noted that General Fraser arrives on
January 26 and said that he expects to spend one week to ten
days in Israel each month. U/S Burns stressed that General
Fraser is looking forward to proper progress on the Roadmap.
5. (C) U/S Burns asked Abramovitch if the GOI had decided on
an interlocutor for General Fraser. After suggesting that
IDF MGEN Ido Nechushtan might fill the role, Abramovitch
later said that the GOI had not yet determined who will be
Fraser,s counterpart. Ambassador Jones stressed that the
U.S. views Fraser,s mandate as broader than security and
Palestinian compliance with the Roadmap. Abramovitch
responded that while he understood the U.S. viewpoint, the
GOI prefers to assign someone with a security focus to this
role. Abramovitch then asked if the Palestinian interlocutor
is known. Ambassador Jones replied that it was not yet known.
--------------
UNSC Presidential Statement on Gaza
--------------
6. (C) Abramovitch expressed concern about a UNSC
Presidential Statement on the situation in Gaza. Abramovitch
said that NEA A/S Welch and State Department Counselor Cohen
had informed him the day before of the USG's intent to
negotiate the terms of the UNSC Presidential Statement and to
bring the context of the Gaza situation into the statement.
Abramovitch stated Israel,s position that there should be no
dialogue on the UNSC Presidential statement, noting that if a
statement is released it will be a victory for Hamas and will
work against the peace process and against PA President
Abbas, who would not be able to speak out against such a
statement. Abramovitch stressed the GOI's hope that the U.S.
would not support any UNSC Presidential Statement on the
matter. U/S Burns said he would check back with Washington
about the progress of the statement.
--------------
Still Waiting on Israeli Cluster Bomb Report
--------------
7. (C) U/S Burns raised the pending request by General
Secretary Ban to receive an Israeli report on cluster
SIPDIS
munitions used by the IDF during the Summer 2006 Second
Lebanon War. Noting that Israel promised to deliver the
report in October 2007, U/S Burns recommended that the GOI
either turn in the data soon, or if they cannot, to note that
to the UNSC now. Abramovitch undertook to look into the
status of the report. (Note: We subsequently were informed
that the report is in the final clearance process and should
be provided to UNIFIL and the UNSYG shortly.)
-------------- --------------
Treatment of AMCIT Arabs and Palestinians at Borders
-------------- --------------
8. (C) U/S Burns raised the issue of problems that Arab and
Palestinian Americans have encountered when entering and
exiting Israel. Offering a current example, A/S Burns
mentioned an incident the night before in which a U.S.
diplomat with a Muslim surname was held up for more than 30
minutes at Ben Gurion airport while attempting to enter
Israel on official business using a U.S. diplomatic passport.
Only after the U.S. Embassy urged the MFA to intervene was
the diplomat allowed to enter Israel. U/S Burns
characterized this kind of treatment of an American diplomat,
or any American, as objectionable. U/S Burns also noted
problems faced by American citizens traveling to visit or
work in the West Bank. He gave Abramovitch a non-paper on
the issue and asked that the Israeli government commit itself
to more cooperative treatment of American citizens.
9. (C) Abramovitch asked that the USG distinguish between the
problems at the airport and issues involving the West Bank.
He apologized for the treatment the diplomat received,
explaining that there was a similar name on a computer list
of people Israeli security officials want to question.
Abramovitch admitted the airport had become a problem, and
that not only Americans were affected. Advisor to the DG
Ezra said that the MFA is working with airport screeners to
resolve this problem. He acknowledged that such problems are
adversely affecting Israel,s image abroad, and noted that
the MFA is currently recommending a USD 25 million project to
resolve these problems by upgrading the airport,s computer
system. Embassy POLCOUNS noted that CA A/S Harty raised the
same issue several months earlier during her visit to Israel.
--------------
PARTICIPANTS
--------------
10. (U) U.S. Participants:
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
Ambassador Richard H. Jones.
National Security Council Senior Director Michael Singh
Embassy Political Counselor Marc Sievers
Embassy Notetaker
11. (U) Israeli Participants:
MFA DG Aharon Abramovitch
MFA North America Division Director Dan Arbell
Aviv Ezra, Advisor to the MFA DG
12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Under Secretary
Burns.
********************************************* ********************
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.
********************************************* ********************
MORENO
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018
TAGS: CASC IS KWBG MCAP MOPS PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: A/S BURNS' JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH MFA DG
ABRAMOVICH
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: Israeli MFA Director General Aharon
Abramovitch updated U/S Burns January 24 on recent meetings
between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams, noting
that despite the previous day's incidents on the Egypt-Gaza
border, the teams met that day. Abramovitch expressed the
GOI,s hope that the U.S. would not support any UNSC
presidential statement regarding Gaza. U/S Burns reminded
Abramovitch that the UNSC is still waiting for the Israeli
report on their use of cluster bombs during the 2006 Second
Lebanon War. U/S Burns also raised the matter of problems
that Arab and Palestinian Americans encounter at Ben Gurion
airport. End summary.
--------------
Update on Negotiations on Core Issues
--------------
2. (C) MFA DG Abramovitch updated U/S Burns on the
negotiation of core issues that started ten days earlier.
Abramovitch noted that despite the problems the day before in
Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian teams met and discussed the
core issues. Although the GOI originally envisioned that
different negotiation committees would address distinct
issues, the teams decided to discuss all issues in one small
group. The Israeli team was led by FM Tzipi Livni, and the
Palestinian team was led by former Palestinian Authority (PA)
PM Ahmed Qurei (Abu Alaa).
3. (C) Abramovitch said that the GOI is committed to
continuing dialog on the core issues, but cautioned that the
Palestinians may not want to continue if the situation in
Gaza worsens.
--------------
General Fraser,s Imminent Arrival
--------------
4. (C) Ambassador Jones noted that General Fraser arrives on
January 26 and said that he expects to spend one week to ten
days in Israel each month. U/S Burns stressed that General
Fraser is looking forward to proper progress on the Roadmap.
5. (C) U/S Burns asked Abramovitch if the GOI had decided on
an interlocutor for General Fraser. After suggesting that
IDF MGEN Ido Nechushtan might fill the role, Abramovitch
later said that the GOI had not yet determined who will be
Fraser,s counterpart. Ambassador Jones stressed that the
U.S. views Fraser,s mandate as broader than security and
Palestinian compliance with the Roadmap. Abramovitch
responded that while he understood the U.S. viewpoint, the
GOI prefers to assign someone with a security focus to this
role. Abramovitch then asked if the Palestinian interlocutor
is known. Ambassador Jones replied that it was not yet known.
--------------
UNSC Presidential Statement on Gaza
--------------
6. (C) Abramovitch expressed concern about a UNSC
Presidential Statement on the situation in Gaza. Abramovitch
said that NEA A/S Welch and State Department Counselor Cohen
had informed him the day before of the USG's intent to
negotiate the terms of the UNSC Presidential Statement and to
bring the context of the Gaza situation into the statement.
Abramovitch stated Israel,s position that there should be no
dialogue on the UNSC Presidential statement, noting that if a
statement is released it will be a victory for Hamas and will
work against the peace process and against PA President
Abbas, who would not be able to speak out against such a
statement. Abramovitch stressed the GOI's hope that the U.S.
would not support any UNSC Presidential Statement on the
matter. U/S Burns said he would check back with Washington
about the progress of the statement.
--------------
Still Waiting on Israeli Cluster Bomb Report
--------------
7. (C) U/S Burns raised the pending request by General
Secretary Ban to receive an Israeli report on cluster
SIPDIS
munitions used by the IDF during the Summer 2006 Second
Lebanon War. Noting that Israel promised to deliver the
report in October 2007, U/S Burns recommended that the GOI
either turn in the data soon, or if they cannot, to note that
to the UNSC now. Abramovitch undertook to look into the
status of the report. (Note: We subsequently were informed
that the report is in the final clearance process and should
be provided to UNIFIL and the UNSYG shortly.)
-------------- --------------
Treatment of AMCIT Arabs and Palestinians at Borders
-------------- --------------
8. (C) U/S Burns raised the issue of problems that Arab and
Palestinian Americans have encountered when entering and
exiting Israel. Offering a current example, A/S Burns
mentioned an incident the night before in which a U.S.
diplomat with a Muslim surname was held up for more than 30
minutes at Ben Gurion airport while attempting to enter
Israel on official business using a U.S. diplomatic passport.
Only after the U.S. Embassy urged the MFA to intervene was
the diplomat allowed to enter Israel. U/S Burns
characterized this kind of treatment of an American diplomat,
or any American, as objectionable. U/S Burns also noted
problems faced by American citizens traveling to visit or
work in the West Bank. He gave Abramovitch a non-paper on
the issue and asked that the Israeli government commit itself
to more cooperative treatment of American citizens.
9. (C) Abramovitch asked that the USG distinguish between the
problems at the airport and issues involving the West Bank.
He apologized for the treatment the diplomat received,
explaining that there was a similar name on a computer list
of people Israeli security officials want to question.
Abramovitch admitted the airport had become a problem, and
that not only Americans were affected. Advisor to the DG
Ezra said that the MFA is working with airport screeners to
resolve this problem. He acknowledged that such problems are
adversely affecting Israel,s image abroad, and noted that
the MFA is currently recommending a USD 25 million project to
resolve these problems by upgrading the airport,s computer
system. Embassy POLCOUNS noted that CA A/S Harty raised the
same issue several months earlier during her visit to Israel.
--------------
PARTICIPANTS
--------------
10. (U) U.S. Participants:
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
Ambassador Richard H. Jones.
National Security Council Senior Director Michael Singh
Embassy Political Counselor Marc Sievers
Embassy Notetaker
11. (U) Israeli Participants:
MFA DG Aharon Abramovitch
MFA North America Division Director Dan Arbell
Aviv Ezra, Advisor to the MFA DG
12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Under Secretary
Burns.
********************************************* ********************
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.
********************************************* ********************
MORENO