ISRAEL SUPPORTIVE OF FOOD SECURIY PROPOSAL; SEEKS FURTHER

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002380

SIPDIS

NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER, FRELICH; EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT FOR ANN RYAN;
FFICE OF THE COUNSELOR FOR MARISA PLOWDEN; IO FOR OBERT HAGEN AND
JOHN TUMINARO; USAID FOR EGAT; RME FOR FAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAGR EID IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL SUPPORTIVE OF FOOD SECURIY PROPOSAL; SEEKS FURTHER
COOPERATION WITH USAIDIN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

REF: STATE 107298


1. SUMMARY: Israel plans to support the joint USG-U proposal on
food security at the FAO Summit Nov. 16-18 in Rome. While
delivering the reftel demarche, Econoff also solicited GoI's
thinking on cooperative efforts with USAID in third countries. End
summary.


2. Econoff delivered reftel's letter and proposal on partnering for
Food Security to Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs via Deputy
Director General for Economic Affairs, Irit Ben Abba on October 20.
To gain Israel's substantive response to the proposal, Econoff met
with Ilan Fluss, Director for Policy Planning and External Relations
and Beth-Eden Kite, Director of Training at MASHAV, Israel's Agency
for International Development Cooperation on October 26. MASHAV is
part of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fluss stated that
Israel will fully support the proposal of Secretary Clinton and UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the World Food Security Summit at
the FAO next month. Ambassador Hiam Divon, Deputy Director General
for International Cooperation, is expected to head the Israeli
delegation to the FAO Summit in November.


3. Fluss noted MASHAV's experience in supporting agricultural
development and sustainable food production in developing counties
in Africa, Asia and Central Europe. Regarding the proposal and
talking points on USG interests, he was particularly glad to hear of
the U.S. recognition of climate change and water usage as factors in
addressing global agricultural needs. He also emphasized MASHAV's
support of a USG action plan focused on women, who make up the
majority of small-holder rural farmers.


4. As Deputy FM Ayalon mentioned in recent meetings with USG
officials, Fluss also encouraged greater collaboration with USAID in
developing countries. MASHAVA is a small, flexible organization
with more limited scope than USAID, Fluss stated, and therefore
wants to place new emphasis on partnerships that can yield greater
reach for the agency. With core focus areas of education, public
health, agriculture, water conservation and urban safety (the later
primarily in Latin America),MASHAV uses Israel's technological
expertise and human resources in these areas to build capacity and
know-how in the developing world. Kite and Fluss described MASAHV's
fruitful history of cooperation with USAID as project-specific and
largely dependent upon the individual relationships established with
USAID officers in countries where Israeli involvement in development
work is desired. They specifically noted current projects involving
water technology and climate change in Ethiopia.


5. Fluss said that MASHAV and the GoI see a political green light
for broader cooperation with USAID and now seek a dialogue regarding
the practical steps to be taken to that end. Noting some of the
agency's focus countries (India, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and
Kosovo),Kite and Fluss requested feedback as to where the greatest
prospects for cooperation lie and suggested that MASHAV will
consider all USAID suggestions. They also expressed a desire to
pursue cooperation with USAID in the Middle East, where most of
their recent work has been done through local NGOs and other
international partners, primarily to benefit Palestinians and
Jordanians. Finally, they stressed that MASHAV would be coming to
the table as a donor in these endeavors, not simply a source of
technical expertise.

CUNNINGHAM