Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TELAVIV2060
2009-09-17 11:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
DEMARCHE REQUEST: U.S. OBJECTIVES FOR THE AD-HOC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHTV #2060 2601102 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 171102Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3478 INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 6563 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6781 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0493 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 4655 RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0663 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3649 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 2080 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2089 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1136 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1864 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 3059 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 8049 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0934 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0467 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7041 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 2793 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS BE
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002060
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAL EAID PGOV
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: U.S. OBJECTIVES FOR THE AD-HOC
LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING, SEPTEMBER 22
REF: SECSTATE 95980
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002060
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAL EAID PGOV
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: U.S. OBJECTIVES FOR THE AD-HOC
LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING, SEPTEMBER 22
REF: SECSTATE 95980
1. (SBU) EconCouns discussed the upcoming Ad Hoc Liaison
Committee meeting with MFA Deputy Director General for
Economic Affairs Irit Ben Abba on September 16. Ben Abba
said the GOI was still unclear on why the meeting could not
have been postponed, though the Israelis welcome the fact
that it will be held at the sub-ministerial level. Ben Abba
said she would be heading the Israeli delegation and will be
accompanied by working-level officials from the Ministery of
Defense, The Coordinator for Government Activity in the
Territories (COGAT),the Ministry of Finance, and the
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.
2. (SBU) On support for the PA's recurrent budget deficit,
Ben Abba pointed out that there had been few disbursements to
date of the funds pledged at the last AHLC meeting in Oslo.
She said it would be important that this AHLC meeting
underscore the need for more rapid disbursement. She said
that on assistance to Gaza, the GOI will have nothing more to
put on the table pending conclusion of the ongoing
negotiations for the release of IDF hostage Gilad Shalit. She
noted in particular that phase one of the Serry Plan was on
hold, though UNSCO and MOD/COGAT continue to talk at the
working level in order to be ready to move projects forward
as soon as the Netanyahu Government gives the go-ahead.
3. (SBU) Ben Abba asked for USG views on Prime Minister
Fayyad's announced two-year plan. EconCouns stressed the
importance of the plan as a statement of what needs to be
done if the PA is to be ready to run a modern state. Ben Abba
said the content of the declaration was of less concern to
the GOI than the implied two-year deadline, which she
characterized as "unrealistic and presumptuous" both from the
political and practical points of view. In response to the
talking point on avoiding politicization of the plan through
public GOI criticism, Ben Abba said that if avoiding
politicizaion of issues were a serious concern, the meeting
would have been postponed. In the same vein, BenAbba said
the GOI fully expects to have to endur highly politicized
discussion of the Goldstone eport at the AHLC meeting.
4. (SBU) Ben Abba said that the GOI expects little positive
result fro next week's meeting, but said it might possiblyhelp set the stage for a ministerial meeting later in the
year, linked to resumption of negotiations. In any case, she
added, the GOI intends to use the meeting to highlight the
positive impact of recent GOI policy changes on the
Palestinian economy, and has produced a 33-page brochure on
the subject (PDF version emailed to NEA/IPA).
********************************************* ********************
Visit EMBASSY Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
********************************************* ********************
CUNNINGHAM
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAL EAID PGOV
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: U.S. OBJECTIVES FOR THE AD-HOC
LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING, SEPTEMBER 22
REF: SECSTATE 95980
1. (SBU) EconCouns discussed the upcoming Ad Hoc Liaison
Committee meeting with MFA Deputy Director General for
Economic Affairs Irit Ben Abba on September 16. Ben Abba
said the GOI was still unclear on why the meeting could not
have been postponed, though the Israelis welcome the fact
that it will be held at the sub-ministerial level. Ben Abba
said she would be heading the Israeli delegation and will be
accompanied by working-level officials from the Ministery of
Defense, The Coordinator for Government Activity in the
Territories (COGAT),the Ministry of Finance, and the
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.
2. (SBU) On support for the PA's recurrent budget deficit,
Ben Abba pointed out that there had been few disbursements to
date of the funds pledged at the last AHLC meeting in Oslo.
She said it would be important that this AHLC meeting
underscore the need for more rapid disbursement. She said
that on assistance to Gaza, the GOI will have nothing more to
put on the table pending conclusion of the ongoing
negotiations for the release of IDF hostage Gilad Shalit. She
noted in particular that phase one of the Serry Plan was on
hold, though UNSCO and MOD/COGAT continue to talk at the
working level in order to be ready to move projects forward
as soon as the Netanyahu Government gives the go-ahead.
3. (SBU) Ben Abba asked for USG views on Prime Minister
Fayyad's announced two-year plan. EconCouns stressed the
importance of the plan as a statement of what needs to be
done if the PA is to be ready to run a modern state. Ben Abba
said the content of the declaration was of less concern to
the GOI than the implied two-year deadline, which she
characterized as "unrealistic and presumptuous" both from the
political and practical points of view. In response to the
talking point on avoiding politicization of the plan through
public GOI criticism, Ben Abba said that if avoiding
politicizaion of issues were a serious concern, the meeting
would have been postponed. In the same vein, BenAbba said
the GOI fully expects to have to endur highly politicized
discussion of the Goldstone eport at the AHLC meeting.
4. (SBU) Ben Abba said that the GOI expects little positive
result fro next week's meeting, but said it might possiblyhelp set the stage for a ministerial meeting later in the
year, linked to resumption of negotiations. In any case, she
added, the GOI intends to use the meeting to highlight the
positive impact of recent GOI policy changes on the
Palestinian economy, and has produced a 33-page brochure on
the subject (PDF version emailed to NEA/IPA).
********************************************* ********************
Visit EMBASSY Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
********************************************* ********************
CUNNINGHAM