FURTHER KUWAITI RESPONSE TO GAZA CRISIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000010

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KU
SUBJECT: FURTHER KUWAITI RESPONSE TO GAZA CRISIS

REF: A. 2008 KUWAIT 1250

B. 2008 KUWAIT 1255

C. KUWAIT 00006

Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and
d


1. (LOU) Summary: Kuwait's Council of Ministers (COM) on
January 4 called on the international community and the UNSC
to take steps to halt Israeli "aggression" in Gaza; the COM
also reiterated a GOK offer to open up hospitals to injured
Palestinians. Several convoys of official and non-official
medical assistance have reportedly been dispatched to Gaza.
While Kuwaiti officialdom and the press remain heavily
critical of Israel, some commentators have begun to openly
challenge the wisdom of Hamas's action in provoking Israel
and have noted with concern the organization's ties to Iran.
End Summary.

Criticism of Israeli "Aggression" and Appeals for Relief
-------------- --------------


2. (LOU) In one of a continuing series of official GOK
messages (reftels) expressing concern over Israeli attacks in
Gaza, the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers (COM) on January 4
issued a statement calling on the international community and
the UN Security Council to take immediate measures to stop
Israeli "aggression" against Palestinians in the Gaza strip.
The statement, which was read to reporters of Kuwait's
official news agency KUNA (but which has not yet appeared on
official websites) reportedly further noted the Amir's "deep
concern" over the continuing humanitarian crisis. In the
statement, the COM reiterated that Kuwaiti hospitals will
receive an unspecified number of injured Palestinians and
called on the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, the MFA, and all
humanitarian agencies to assist. The statement also
criticized international community silence on the crisis and
urged the Palestinian factions to unite.


3. (LOU) In a similar vein, Mohamed Al-Saqer, a Kuwaiti MP
who also serves as Speaker of the Arab League's Interim Arab
Parliament (IAP) addressed an extraordinary session of the AL
in Cairo on January 4 and called on Arab governments to
immediately comply with an UNRWA request for USD 35 million
to assist the Palestinians. He encouraged Palestinian
factions to unite for the purpose of creating a unified
Palestinian government, commenting that "the Arab failure is
a result of sixty years of accumulated disputes." According
to press reports, Al-Sager also urged the AL to form an Arab
Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza.


4. (LOU) In a further gesture of support for the Palestinians
in Gaza, several Kuwaiti MPs on January 4 called for the
cancellation of public non-religious festivals, including
Kuwait's National and Liberation Days, in January and
February. The MPs told the press they are also considering
forming a parliamentary delegation to approach Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak with the intention of asking him to
open the Rafah crossing into Gaza.

Medical Supplies Dispatched to Gaza
--------------


5. (LOU) Several Kuwaiti entities (both semi-official and
non-official) have reportedly provided medical and other
humanitarian assistance to Gaza. According to press
accounts, these include the following:

-- Four trucks of medical supplies flying the Kuwaiti Flag
entered Gaza prior to January 3;

-- Several tons of medical supplies from the Kuwait Red
Crescent Society reportedly entered Gaza prior to January 2;

-- Five truckloads of medical supplies from the International
Al-Rahma Committee of the Social Reform Society (an offshoot
of the Muslim Brotherhood) reportedly entered Gaza through
Rafah crossing prior to January 3;

-- Three medical relief "caravans" from the Patients Aid Fund
Society reportedly entered Gaza prior to January 5;

-- Al-Rai newspaper reported that Kuwait is scheduled to
earmark USD 500 million in assistance for Gaza.

-- Senior Kuwaiti Ministry of Health officials visited three
Kuwaiti hospitals on January 4 to assess preperations
underway for the reception of injured Palestinians.

Criticism of Hamas Creeps Into Press Coverage

KUWAIT 00000010 002 OF 002


--------------


6. (LOU) As noted reftels and in a media reaction cable
(septel),Kuwaiti press coverage of the Gaza crisis has been
dominated by an outpouring of rage directed at Israeli
attacks on Palestinian civilians and at the perceived
passivity of the international community. However, an
element of skepticism and outright criticism of Hamas has
also crept into Kuwaiti coverage of the crisis, with a number
of commentators challenging the tactical wisdom of Hamas's
leaders in bringing down the Israeli barrage on Palestinian
heads, while others have noted Hamas's ties to Hizbollah and
Iran.


7. (U) In a January 5 front page editorial in the
English-language Arab Times, editor-in-chief Ahmed
Al-Jarallah commented that Hamas's actions "has led the
Palestinians to hell and made them face Israeli armor."
Commenting on the problem of factionalism within the
Palestinian community, Al-Jarallah wrote that Palestine "has
several militias and each is affiliated to an Arab, regional
or international entity. Undoubtedly, Hamas is linked with
the Iranian regime. The group operates according to the
dictates of this regime, which has led to disagreements with
Ramallah and other Arabs."


8. (U) An opinion piece in Al-Rai pointed to Hamas's
responsibility for the crisis in Gaza noting that the killing
of innocents "did not start on the day the Israeli fighters
fired their missiles towards them but rather on the day in
which Hamas attacked buildings of the security troops and
turned against the Ramallah authority."


9. (U) A commentator in the conservative daily Al-Watan said
"Hamas is adopting a style which has been unfair to the poor,
the weak, the innocent, the women and the children because
they use them as human shields hiding in their houses.
Unfortunately, Hamas (then) leaves the Arab countries and
heads to Iran. They do not know that the Iranians only want
a foothold in the Arab land."


10. (C) Comment: The GOK and official Kuwaiti media are
attempting to show strong support for suffering Palestinian
civilians without granting any credibility or support to
Hamas. A primary focus on medical assistance in the most
recent Kuwaiti statements reflects the effort to strike such
a balance. End Comment.



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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
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JONES