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. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * JONES