Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE39834
2009-04-22 12:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:
ISRAEL ASKS RUSSIAN DFM TO POSTPONE UNSC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0014 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHC #9834 1121217 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 221212Z APR 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 5766
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 039834
FOLLOWING TEL AVIV 00897 DATED 221036Z APR 09 SENT ACTION TO
SECSTATE WASHDC, INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE, NSC WASHDC
BEING REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO
QUOTE:
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000897
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2019
TAGS: PREL KWBG RU UN IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL ASKS RUSSIAN DFM TO POSTPONE UNSC
DISCUSSION
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis Moreno, reason 1.4 (b)
and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 039834
FOLLOWING TEL AVIV 00897 DATED 221036Z APR 09 SENT ACTION TO
SECSTATE WASHDC, INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE, NSC WASHDC
BEING REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO
QUOTE:
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000897
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2019
TAGS: PREL KWBG RU UN IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL ASKS RUSSIAN DFM TO POSTPONE UNSC
DISCUSSION
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis Moreno, reason 1.4 (b)
and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. On April 21, PolOff met with Russian Embassy
Political Counselor Alexey Skosyrev to discuss the recent
visit to Israel by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander
Saltanov. Saltanov's main meetings were with Prime Minister
Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Lieberman, and National Security
Advisor Uzi Arad. The Israelis reportedly asked Saltanov for
patience while they develop their Palestinian policy,
underlining that new ideas were needed. Because of this
policy review, the Israelis also asked Russia to postpone the
May 11 UN Security Council discussion on the Middle East. In
addition, Arad asked Saltanov to postpone the proposed Moscow
Conference to the fall, and suggested that the conference
should focus on regional peace issues. During his meeting
with Saltanov, FM Lieberman reportedly stressed improved
bilateral relations and an upgrade in the Israel-Russia
strategic dialogue, while seeking assurances on the sale of
advanced weaponry to Syria and Iran. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Skosyrev told PolOff that the primary Israeli talking
point during the visit of DFM Saltanov was that peace efforts
with the Palestinians over the past 16 years since the Oslo
agreements had failed, and that new ideas were needed. The
Israelis also asked for patience while they developed their
new policy, which they said would be done in about 4 weeks.
3. (C) As part of the request for patience, the Israelis
underscored to Saltanov that Russia's plan to hold a
high-level UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East on
May 11, during Russia's presidency, was poorly timed.
Skosyrev said that the Israelis felt it would be unfair to
hold this discussion before their policy review was complete,
and argued that it should be postponed.
4. (C) During the meeting with Uzi Arad, Skosyrev said that
Arad brought up the proposed Moscow Peace Conference. Arad
reportedly wants the Moscow Conference to be focused on
regional efforts to support Israeli-Palestinian and
Israeli-Arab peace, and suggested that it be used to revive
the multilateral tracks from the Madrid Conference, although
now with only three committees: economics, environment, and
regional security. Arad also asked that the Moscow
conference be held in the fall, and not the summer as Russia
has suggested.
5. (C) Skosyrev said that the most interesting meeting for
DFM Saltanov was with FM Lieberman, as Lieberman focused on
reinvigorating the Israel-Russia strategic dialogue. (Note:
Skosyrev previously told Pol Couns that Lieberman recently
gave an interview to a Russian radio station in which he said
that as Foreign Minister, he planned to elevate
Israeli-Russian relations to the same level as Israeli-U.S.
relations.) Skosyrev believes that Lieberman is serious
about improving the bilateral relationship, and noted that
the meeting was held completely in Russian and attended
exclusively by Lieberman's Russian-speaking advisors.
6. (C) Finally, Skosyrev said that the Israelis brought up
the issue of Russian arms sales to Syria and Iran. Saltanov
told the Israelis that Russia would only provide "defensive
weapons" to those countries, and would not sell them anything
that would alter the strategic balance in the region.
7. (C) Comment. Russia has long argued that it will only
sell defensive weapons to Iran and Syria, so the Israelis
were likely unimpressed with this response. On the other
hand, their primary concern has been a Russian sale of the
S-300 surface to air missile system, which could be
considered capable of altering the strategic balance.
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
CUNNINGHAM UNQUOTE:CLINTON
FOLLOWING TEL AVIV 00897 DATED 221036Z APR 09 SENT ACTION TO
SECSTATE WASHDC, INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE, NSC WASHDC
BEING REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO
QUOTE:
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000897
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2019
TAGS: PREL KWBG RU UN IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL ASKS RUSSIAN DFM TO POSTPONE UNSC
DISCUSSION
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis Moreno, reason 1.4 (b)
and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY. On April 21, PolOff met with Russian Embassy
Political Counselor Alexey Skosyrev to discuss the recent
visit to Israel by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander
Saltanov. Saltanov's main meetings were with Prime Minister
Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Lieberman, and National Security
Advisor Uzi Arad. The Israelis reportedly asked Saltanov for
patience while they develop their Palestinian policy,
underlining that new ideas were needed. Because of this
policy review, the Israelis also asked Russia to postpone the
May 11 UN Security Council discussion on the Middle East. In
addition, Arad asked Saltanov to postpone the proposed Moscow
Conference to the fall, and suggested that the conference
should focus on regional peace issues. During his meeting
with Saltanov, FM Lieberman reportedly stressed improved
bilateral relations and an upgrade in the Israel-Russia
strategic dialogue, while seeking assurances on the sale of
advanced weaponry to Syria and Iran. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Skosyrev told PolOff that the primary Israeli talking
point during the visit of DFM Saltanov was that peace efforts
with the Palestinians over the past 16 years since the Oslo
agreements had failed, and that new ideas were needed. The
Israelis also asked for patience while they developed their
new policy, which they said would be done in about 4 weeks.
3. (C) As part of the request for patience, the Israelis
underscored to Saltanov that Russia's plan to hold a
high-level UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East on
May 11, during Russia's presidency, was poorly timed.
Skosyrev said that the Israelis felt it would be unfair to
hold this discussion before their policy review was complete,
and argued that it should be postponed.
4. (C) During the meeting with Uzi Arad, Skosyrev said that
Arad brought up the proposed Moscow Peace Conference. Arad
reportedly wants the Moscow Conference to be focused on
regional efforts to support Israeli-Palestinian and
Israeli-Arab peace, and suggested that it be used to revive
the multilateral tracks from the Madrid Conference, although
now with only three committees: economics, environment, and
regional security. Arad also asked that the Moscow
conference be held in the fall, and not the summer as Russia
has suggested.
5. (C) Skosyrev said that the most interesting meeting for
DFM Saltanov was with FM Lieberman, as Lieberman focused on
reinvigorating the Israel-Russia strategic dialogue. (Note:
Skosyrev previously told Pol Couns that Lieberman recently
gave an interview to a Russian radio station in which he said
that as Foreign Minister, he planned to elevate
Israeli-Russian relations to the same level as Israeli-U.S.
relations.) Skosyrev believes that Lieberman is serious
about improving the bilateral relationship, and noted that
the meeting was held completely in Russian and attended
exclusively by Lieberman's Russian-speaking advisors.
6. (C) Finally, Skosyrev said that the Israelis brought up
the issue of Russian arms sales to Syria and Iran. Saltanov
told the Israelis that Russia would only provide "defensive
weapons" to those countries, and would not sell them anything
that would alter the strategic balance in the region.
7. (C) Comment. Russia has long argued that it will only
sell defensive weapons to Iran and Syria, so the Israelis
were likely unimpressed with this response. On the other
hand, their primary concern has been a Russian sale of the
S-300 surface to air missile system, which could be
considered capable of altering the strategic balance.
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
CUNNINGHAM UNQUOTE:CLINTON