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Cables mirror and Afghan War Diary
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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04TELAVIV1288 |
NEGOTIATIONS FOR EGYPT/ISRAEL GAS PIPELINE CONTINUE [...] (C) Summary: The Egypt/Israel gas pipeline project is approaching some of the final hurdles in the negotiations between the many parties, according to the Senior Vice President of the Israeli firm Merhav, Nimrod Novik. In a conversation with Embassy econoff on March 1, Novik said the proce [...] |
2004-03-02 14:51:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV1325 |
ISRAELI COUNTER-TERROR OFFICIAL DEFENDS RAMALLAH [...] (S) Summary: NSC Counterterrorism Chief BG Danny Arditi expressed concern to the Ambassador March 1 about continuing support from Hizballah for Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. While the U.S. and Israel are making progress in combating financial flows from Saudi Ara [...] |
2004-03-03 15:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET//NOFORN | PTER PREL KPAL IS COUNTERTERRORISM ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV1335 |
U/S LARSON DISCUSSES "GREATER MIDDLE EAST," AN [...] (C) Summary. Under Secretary Larson reviewed the President's "Greater Middle East" vision with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Yoav Biran February 23, noting the initiative's efforts at promoting democracy, expanding education, and increasing economic cooperation. Larson sugges [...] |
2004-03-04 09:06:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL EG IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV1362 |
WERTHEIMER APPARENTLY GIVING UP ON "MARSHALL PLAN" [...] (SBU) Israeli industrialist Stef Wertheimer told visiting NSC Director Adnan Kifayat and Embassy Econoff on Feb. 24 that he will no longer seek USG financial assistance for his "New Marshall Plan" for the Middle East. Using the phrase "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force him to [...] |
2004-03-04 14:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAID ECON ETRD PREL KWBG TU JO IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV1381 |
ISRAELI VENTURE CAPITALISTS REQUEST CLARITY ON [...] (C) Summary. Senior Israeli venture capitalists outlined to the Ambassador March 3 difficulties Israeli firms are having selling software relating to homeland security and counterterrorism to certain USG entities. According to Chemi Peres, chairman of one of Israel's largest VC firms, Pitang [...] |
2004-03-05 09:41:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD PTER IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS LABOR COMMERCE |
| 04TELAVIV1464 |
USING THE JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE OUR [...] (C) I encourage Washington to convene a meeting of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) as soon as possible. Our combined efforts to focus Israel on our trade and investment concerns are beginning to pay dividends. A new agricultural agreement that will increase access to U.S. agricultural pro [...] |
2004-03-09 11:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD BEXP ECON IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV1546 |
HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS IN WEST BANK AND [...] Summary: Overall, the humanitarian situation in West Bank and Gaza (WB/G) has not improved. Despite some minor improvements in mobility, the range of socio-economic indicators remain dismal. Over 60 percent of the WB/G population live below the poverty line; Unemployment rates as of fourth [...] |
2004-03-11 14:56:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE HUMANITARIAN AID |
| 04TELAVIV1676 |
QIZ TALKS: GETTING CLOSER, BUT ISRAELI, EGYPTIAN [...] (U) This is a joint cable from Embassies Tel Aviv and Cairo. ------- Summary ------- 2. (C) The third round of Israeli/Egyptian QIZ talks ended without an agreement on March 17 in Jerusalem. As in the previous discussions in Jerusalem and Cairo, the stumbling block remained the minim [...] |
2004-03-18 10:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD PREL ECON EG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL LABOR COMMERCE |
| 04TELAVIV1683 |
COMMERCE U/S JUSTER RAISES TRADE ISSUES AND [...] (SBU) SUMMARY. In a visit to Israel March 2-4, Under Secretary of Commerce Kenneth I. Juster, head of the SIPDIS Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), met with high- ranking Israeli officials, as well as with both Israeli and American leaders from the private and public sectors in Israel's [...] |
2004-03-18 13:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ETRD BEXP KIPR KWBG IS LABOR AND COMMERCE ECONOMY FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV1708 |
THE COSTS OF THE INTIFADA TO THE ISRAELI ECONOMY [...] (C) Summary. More than three years into the Intifada, a lively debate has ensued about its costs to the Israeli economy, both past and future. A fair degree of unanimity exists among experts that past costs were huge, with Bank of Israel and Ministry of Finance estimates falling somewhere b [...] |
2004-03-19 14:13:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV1729 |
TRADE MINISTER OLMERT PROMISES COOPERATION, ACTION [...] (C) Summary. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOIT) Ehud Olmert told the Ambassador March 18 that he takes U.S. complaints about trade barriers seriously and would seek to correct problems. He said MOIT will be the point of contact on complaints related to gov [...] |
2004-03-22 13:28:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD BEXP IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV1839 |
Israeli Economy Pauses following Yassin Killing [...] (SBU) The jury is out on the economic effect of the Yassin killing, but it already appears that tourism is taking a significant hit. While there has been only a moderate fall in Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), the shekel has fallen steadily since Monday morning against the dollar. Our persona [...] |
2004-03-25 14:08:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 04TELAVIV1909 |
PALESTINIANS ANSWER "NO" TO QUESTION, "ARE YOU [...] (C) Summary: Starting in October 2003, the World Bank and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) have conducted a series of monthly surveys to measure Palestinian attitudes and expectations concerning their economic and humanitarian circumstances. An average of 1253 households and 5 [...] |
2004-03-29 14:06:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EAID SOCI ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV2035 |
BOI Reduces Interest by 0.2% in March [...] (U) On March 29, the Bank of Israel announced a 0.2 percent reduction in interest rates. This brings the Bank of Israel interest rate to 4.1 percent and represents the thirteenth consecutive interest rate decline since the end of March, 2003. In the press release accompanying its latest rate [...] |
2004-04-02 11:41:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV2039 |
GOI DISCUSSES NEXT STEPS ON ISRAEL-EGYPT QIZ [...] (C) Summary and Action Request. Gabbi Bar, Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor confirmed to us April 2 that Israel and Egypt had agreed to 11.7% minimum Israeli content for all Egyptian QIZ products. Bar said the next step is a meeting in Athens April 14, wher [...] |
2004-04-02 13:08:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD ECON PREL EG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL LABOR COMMERCE |
| 04TELAVIV2041 |
UNHAPPY ISRAELI TRADE MINISTER REACTS TO POSSIBLE [...] (C) Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Communications Ehud Olmert called the Ambassador late April 1 to complain about reports that the USG intended to put Israel back on the 301 Priority Watch List. Olmert said such an action would be unjustified. Olmert noted that he [...] |
2004-04-02 14:01:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV2067 |
NETANYAHU ANNOUNCES MAJOR TAX REDUCTION PROGRAM [...] (U) On Sunday, April 4th, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference at which he announced the third major tax reduction initiative of his tenure. It foresees the following changes in tax and investment laws: -- personal income taxes, primarily for low-income workers, would f [...] |
2004-04-05 12:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV2070 |
SPECIAL 301 DEMARCHE GETS QUICK GOI ATTENTION [...] (C) Summary: Aaron Abramovitch, Director General of Israel's Ministry of Justice, told Econ/C April 5 that the GOI was "surprised and confused" by the USG statement that it planned to raise Israel to Special 301 Priority Watch List status unless action is taken on data protection and copyri [...] |
2004-04-05 13:22:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KIPR ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV2123 |
DETAILS OF EGYPT/ISRAEL GAS PIPELINE APPROVED BY [...] (C) Summary. The Egypt/Israel gas pipeline project cleared a crucial hurdle on April 4 when the GOI gave its blessing to the Israel Electric Company (IEC) to negotiate an agreement with the supplier of Egyptian natural gas, Eastern Mediterranean Group (EMG). Under the proposed agreement EMG, [...] |
2004-04-08 13:47:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL LABOR COMMERCE |
| 04TELAVIV2167 |
While Israel's Economy Grows, Unemployment Remains [...] (SBU) Finance Minister Netanyahu's declaration in late 2003 that the recession has ended appears to look more realistic today than it did at the time. There is increasing optimism in Israeli economic circles regarding a return to growth in 2004. All indications currently point to growth of m [...] |
2004-04-14 07:20:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 04TELAVIV2271 |
BIBI BULLISH ON ISRAELI ECONOMY TO CODEL ISSA [...] (C) Summary: An ebullient Binyamin Netanyahu told CODEL Issa April 14 that Israel's economy is continuing to improve now that reforms are beginning to take effect. Netanyahu's "success" in battling the unions, GDP growing at 3 percent this year, pension reform, and lower taxes are all contri [...] |
2004-04-20 16:52:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN ETRD ELAB PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV2352 |
EREZ INDUSTRIAL ESTATE: DAYS MAY BE LIMITED [...] (C) Summary: On April 21, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the IDF may close the Erez Industrial Estate (EIE) in response to a spate of recent terror attacks at the zone. GOI officials told Gaza Econoff that the GOI is split over whether the EIE should continue operating both in the [...] |
2004-04-23 13:16:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON KWBG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV2384 |
Israeli Economic News: Klein Puts Cuts on Hold; [...] (U) On Sunday, April 25, the Bank of Israel announced that there would be no change in interest rates in May, leaving the BOI rate unchanged at 4.1 percent. On the same day, the GOI approved Finance Minister Netanyahu's plan for reducing taxes announced earlier in the month. The cuts include [...] |
2004-04-26 14:49:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV6045 |
BUDGET MAY FAIL, BUT SHRINKING SHARON GOVERNMENT [...] (C) The anticipated 43-54 failure of PM Sharon's budget late December 1, and the anticipated post-vote dismissal of Shinui ministers, leaves Sharon with a Likud-only government, but does not cause the government to fall. Sharon can bring the budget back to the Knesset as many times as he want [...] |
2004-12-01 13:22:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV6049 |
AIDS STILL AT LOW LEVELS, BUT HEPATITIS C VIRUS [...] Summary: The incidence of HIV/AIDS remains low in Israel, with about half of new cases from sexual transmission. Most cases of infection from intravenous drug use are among immigrants from the former Soviet Union. At the same time, the incidence of Hepatitis C is high among drug users, and [...] |
2004-12-01 14:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | KHIV TBIO SNAR SOCI ECON EAID IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 04TELAVIV6054 |
JOINT TOURISM STATEMENT PART OF BROADER ISRAELI [...] (C) Summary: On Wednesday, November 24, Israeli Minister of Tourism Gideon Ezra and Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Mitri Abu Aita released a joint statement promising Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in support of international and religious tourism to the "holy land" (reftel [...] |
2004-12-01 15:40:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 04TELAVIV6103 |
ISRAEL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL WATER WELLS ON WEST [...] (C) Summary: Israeli officials are concerned about water wells on the West Bank that have not been approved by the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Commission. They see the illegal wells as a bad precedent for Gaza disengagement, West Bank withdrawal, and eventual negotiations on water issues [...] |
2004-12-03 15:22:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID IS KWBG PGOV PREL SENV ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 04TELAVIV6406 |
GOI RELEASES MORE ATTACHED REVENUES TO PA [...] (C) Summary. Finance Ministry Senior Advisor Rani Loebenstein informed Mission that Israeli courts will release in December an additional NIS 136 million in attached revenues related to acts of terror. Of this, NIS 16 million will be deducted to pay down PA debts to Israeli utilities. The Mo [...] |
2004-12-16 15:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PREL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV6431 |
ISRAELI ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS IN THIRD QUARTER [...] (SBU) Summary. Although the economy slowed in the third quarter, it will grow close to 4% for the year as a whole. The deficit is likely to come in under the targeted level of 4% as a result of the GOI's lid on spending and a positive revenue picture. The Bank of Israel (BOI) took advantage o [...] |
2004-12-17 14:01:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 04TELAVIV6442 |
ISRAELI MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WANTS TO REENGAGE [...] (C) Summary: GOI Environment Ministry officials hope that the USG and/or UNEP can help them reengage with their Palestinian counterparts to address pressing environmental issues. MoE provided a list of action items they consider the most feasible from a longer list of UNEP Desk Study recomme [...] |
2004-12-20 12:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | IS KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL SENV ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 04TELAVIV6500 |
TRILATERAL WATER TALKS MOVE FORWARD COOPERATION, [...] (C) Summary: Palestinian and Israeli water chiefs and their staffs held a thorough exchange focusing on water supply issues for Gaza and the West Bank during U.S.-Israeli-Palestinian Trilateral Water Talks at USAID offices in Tel Aviv December 9. The Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed [...] |
2004-12-22 10:02:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID IS KWBG PREL SENV ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI EXTERNAL |
| 04TELAVIV6525 |
PEACE NOW READY FOR DISENGAGEMENT, KEEPING AN EYE [...] (C) Summary: Yariv Oppenheimer, General Director of Peace Now, told Embassy economic officer on December 14 that his organization "is very excited" about the disengagement plan because it views settlements as a serious obstacle to peace. While the settlers had not yet, at the time of the me [...] |
2004-12-23 08:57:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KWBG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SETTLEMENTS |
| 04TELAVIV6548 |
ISRAELI MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT VIEWS ON GAZA [...] (C) Summary: The Israeli Ministry of Environment has begun to focus on critical environmental issues related to disengagement from Gaza. Ministry officials believe that unless there is close coordination among Israeli ministries and between Israeli and Palestinian officials, there will be ne [...] |
2004-12-23 14:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | IS KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL SENV GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 04TELAVIV6550 |
ISRAELI MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WANTS TO WORK WITH [...] (SBU) Summary: Israeli Ministry of Environment officials hope to work closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make progress on some of Israel's most challenging environment problems. Those include: asbestos and hazardous waste cleanups, emergency preparedness, water securit [...] |
2004-12-23 15:08:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV TBIO KSCA EIND PGOV PREL IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 04TELAVIV6626 |
ISRAELI OFFICIALS ON BUDGET, BACHAR COMMITTEE [...] (C) Summary. Treasury Desk Officer for Israel Catherine Downard discussed the budget, privatization, and other subjects with Israeli officials on December 13. Her visit to the Karni Industrial Zone will be reported septel. The highlights of her discussions: -- The GOI is committed to mainta [...] |
2004-12-29 06:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN ECON PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL LABOR COMMERCE |
| 04TELAVIV6632 |
NETANYAHU AND CODEL LIEBERMAN DISCUSS ECONOMIC [...] (C) Summary: CoDel Lieberman met with Minister of Finance Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, December 28 to discuss elements of the Ministry's economic reform package, as well as prospects for advancing the peace process in the wake of Arafat's death and the rise of a new PA leadership. On the [...] |
2004-12-29 12:09:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL EFIN KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE PEACE PROCESS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 04VATICAN1231 |
OSCE BOSNIA HEAD PRESSES HOLY SEE AND FRANCISCANS [...] (U) This telegram contains a guidance request. Please see paragraph 9. ------- Summary ------- 2. (C) OSCE Bosnia Head of Mission Robert Beecroft emphasized the importance of inter-ethnic reconciliation in Mostar for Bosnia's future stability during March 23-24 meetings with the Hol [...] |
2004-03-26 18:35:00 | Embassy Vatican | CONFIDENTIAL | KIRF PREL SOCI VT BK BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA OSCE |
| 05TELAVIV1019 |
DEPUTY BUDGET DIRECTOR: GOI TO FORMULATE U.S. [...] (C) Summary. Deputy Budget Director Yossi Gordon informed Deputy Economic Counselor February 17 that the Ministry of Finance was going to develop a request for U.S. assistance to help pay for the military aspects of disengagement over the next two weeks to one month. He also said that the G [...] |
2005-02-18 14:01:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV102 |
GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: WITH NEW GOVERNMENT, SHARON TO [...] (C) Summary: The three-month trial period for which the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has agreed to enter a coalition with Likud and Labor gives Prime Minister Sharon the time -- and majorities in the relevant bodies -- to : -- establish a 66-MK majority government, probably as early as [...] |
2005-01-06 15:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV1024 |
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS [...] (SBU) Summary: Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Helsinki February 10 and agreed to reactivate the Joint Environmental Experts Committee (EEC) established under the 1995 Interim Agreement. The EEC will meet in Jerusalem May 2. The two sides also agreed to cooperate on disposition of [...] |
2005-02-18 14:51:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV1061 |
Israel: Economy Grows 4.3% in 2004 [...] (U) On February 14, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) published updated 2004 figures showing growth of 4.3% for the year, a significant improvement over growth of 1.3% in 2003. This compares well with 3.6% average growth in the OECD during the year. Israeli GDP per capita increased by 2 [...] |
2005-02-22 13:18:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV1121 |
ISRAELI TOURISM MINISTER REQUESTS CHANGE IN U.S. [...] (C) Summary. During a February 23 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister of Tourism Abraham Hirchson stressed the GOI's hope that the USG would change the travel warning regarding travel to Israel. The Ambassador replied that the USG reviewed such warnings on a regular basis, but noted that t [...] |
2005-02-25 07:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | CASC PREL IS ISRAEL RELATIONS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV1246 |
POST'S SUBMISSION SPECIAL 301 REVIEW: ISRAEL [...] (SBU) Summary. The attached evaluation of protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Israel focuses on areas of specific concern as detailed in reftel B. Post's policy recommendation is being transmitted septel. End Summary. -------------------- Optical Media Piracy ----------- [...] |
2005-03-02 15:23:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV1271 |
(C) IPR: ISRAEL TO PURSUE LEGISLATION ON PATENTS [...] (C) Minister of Industry and Trade Ehud Olmert called the Ambassador March 3 to say that the government will push ahead with pending legislation on patents and IPR. Since the legislation is attached to the budget bill, Olmert expected it to be adopted on March 16. In conveying this message, [...] |
2005-03-03 13:11:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD IS KIPR ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV1340 |
GAZA DISENGAGEMENT WATER ISSUES: STILL MUCH WORK [...] (C) Summary: Although Israeli and Palestinian water officials have generally displayed relatively close cooperation, they have not worked out specific arrangements pertaining to Israel's disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank. The Israeli Water Commissioner reported that Israel h [...] |
2005-03-07 16:13:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EAID IS KWBG PREL SENV GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV1362 |
NETANYAHU MAY CAVE TO SHAS BUDGET DEMANDS; SHINUI [...] (C) As they scramble for votes ahead of the March 17 budget vote, Prime Minister Sharon and Finance Minister Netanyahu appear ready -- albeit tentatively -- to make budget concessions to Shas, rather than take Shinui back into the coalition. Sharon needs a simple Knesset majority for budget [...] |
2005-03-08 15:52:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV1386 |
MARCH REVENUE TRANSFER REDUCED BECAUSE OF PA [...] (C) Summary. The GOI released a total of NIS 188 million in funds to the PA in early March. This is made up of NIS 138 million from the regular monthly revenue transfer plus NIS 50 million in previously attached revenues. The regular transfer of NIS 138 million is significantly below the no [...] |
2005-03-09 07:51:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV1424 |
TECHNICAL TALKS ON POSSIBLE RETURN OF U.S.-ORIGIN [...] (C) Summary: A joint DOE/State technical team led by Kasia Mendelsohn from DOE's Office of Global Nuclear Material Threat Reduction met with officials from the Israeli Atomic Energy Agency (IAEC) on January 12-13 to discuss possible Israeli participation in the Foreign Research Reactor (FRR) S [...] |
2005-03-10 14:54:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KNNP ENRG TRGY PREL IS ISRAEL RELATIONS COUNTERTERRORISM ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV1429 |
(C) GOI MOVING AHEAD WITH DATA EXCLUSIVITY [...] (C) This is an action request message. Please see paragraph 8. 2. (C) Summary and Comment: Post has received a clear message from Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor (MOITL) that the GOI intends to move ahead this week to have the Knesset consider the data exclusivity legislation as pa [...] |
2005-03-10 15:49:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV1456 |
MOST KNESSET MEMBERS, PUNDITS PREDICT BUDGET WILL [...] (C) Summary: Prime Minister Sharon postponed the final votes on the 2005 budget, originally scheduled for March 17, counting on the fact that parties and MKs that could provide the crucial votes will not show their cards until they are pressed against the March 31 deadline -- and facing the p [...] |
2005-03-11 14:38:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV1594 |
NSC CHIEF SAYS PASSING THE BUDGET IS GOI CHALLENGE [...] (C) Summary: Israeli NSC Director Giora Eiland told CODEL Corzine March 13 that passing the budget is the GOI's biggest disengagement-related hurdle and that all other issues are operational and will be resolved. The GOI's worst-case scenario is Palestinians attacking Israelis in Gaza while [...] |
2005-03-17 15:20:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KWBG GZ IS GOI INTERNAL GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV1633 |
TERRORISM FINANCE: 2005 UPDATE NO. 2 [...] (U) No assets connected to the Taliban have been found in Israel. No assets related to Usama bin Laden or the Al-Qaida organization, and individuals or entities associated with them, have been detected in Israel. 2. (U) There are no impediments for more robust cooperation with the GOI on [...] |
2005-03-18 13:52:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PTER ETTC KTFN IS COUNTERTERRORISM ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV1634 |
IN SHINUI, DISSENSION PERCOLATES OVER BUDGET [...] (C) Divisions have widened within Shinui between those who advocate withholding party support for the 2005 budget and those who advocate supporting the budget to save the government and the disengagement plan. The pro-budget group has also split over how long party chief Tommy Lapid should s [...] |
2005-03-18 14:53:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV1635 |
SENATOR CORZINE'S MARCH 14 MEETING WITH VICE PM [...] (C) Summary. Senator Corzine and Ambassador Kurtzer met March 14 with Vice Prime Minister, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert. The meeting focused on recent USG initiatives on intellectual property rights, Gaza disengagement, and the future of GOI interaction with the PA. [...] |
2005-03-18 15:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | OREP IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV1637 |
ISRAEL AT THE CENTER OF MAJOR MONEY LAUNDERING [...] (U) Summary: Recently, Israel has been the nexus of several high profile money laundering cases. The cases illustrate a continuing need for effective bank supervision and the ongoing level of money laundering associated with criminal activity. On March 6, The International Crimes Unit (ICU [...] |
2005-03-18 15:37:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PTER EFIN ECONOMY AND FINANCE COUNTERTERRORISM |
| 05TELAVIV170 |
Fischer Accepts GOI Offer to Be Next Governor of [...] (U) On January 9, Prime Minister Sharon and Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu jointly nominated Professor Stanley Fischer as the next Governor of the Bank of Israel. Fischer accepted the nomination the same day, although it will require further administrative and political approvals, includ [...] |
2005-01-10 15:20:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV1730 |
SHARON CAUTIONS CODEL REID ON PROVIDING DIRECT [...] (C) Summary: Prime Minister Sharon emphasized to Codel Reid March 21 that ensuring Israel's security against terrorism is his primary objective, although he is optimistic about the opportunities created by Arafat's death and the new Palestinian leadership. Codel Reid and Sharon discussed how [...] |
2005-03-22 16:12:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | OREP PGOV PTER KWBG MNUC IS IR SY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV1731 |
SHIMON PERES TELLS CODEL REID TO LOOK AHEAD [...] (C) Summary: In a meeting on March 20, Codel Reid and Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres discussed the economic future of Israel and post-disengagement Gaza, the U.S. position on Syria and Iran, the impact of the separation barrier on the lives of Palestinians, the run-up to the budget vote in [...] |
2005-03-22 16:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | IR IS MNUC OREP PGOV PREF PTER SY GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV1842 |
REFERENDUM BILL EXPECTED TO FAIL, BUT SHARON STILL [...] (C) The ongoing political machinations leading up to next week's Knesset votes on the 2005 budget and disengagement referendum legislation, do not change Embassy's expectations that Prime Minister Sharon will muster a Knesset majority for the 2005 budget and that a majority will defeat the re [...] |
2005-03-25 12:26:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KWBG ECON IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV1847 |
SHIMON PERES ON DISENGAGEMENT, PALESTINIAN SOCIAL [...] (C) Summary: Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres told NSC director Elliott Abrams, NEA Assistant Secretary David Welch, and the Ambassador March 23 that the economic needs of the Gaza Strip and West Bank are immediate and pressing, while solutions are slow in coming. In his view, the PA is torn [...] |
2005-03-25 13:21:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KWBG PREL EFIN EAID IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV1896 |
SHINUI DECISION VIRTUALLY ASSURES PASSAGE OF 2005 [...] (C) Summary. Prime Minister Sharon appears to have finally secured passage of the 2005 budget. On Saturday March 26, PM Sharon and Shinui Knesset members Yosef (Tommy) Lapid and Avraham Poraz reached agreement that Shinui would support the second and third readings of the 2005 budget in the [...] |
2005-03-28 15:37:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV198 |
DESPITE UNITY GOVERNMENT, SHARON STILL STRAINING [...] (C) A division among the 13 Likud disengagement foes in the Knesset may prompt several to give Prime Minister Sharon the eight or so votes he needs to ensure first-reading passage of the 2005 budget. The 13, known as "the rebels," have threatened to vote against the budget -- as they did aga [...] |
2005-01-11 11:11:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PREL ECON KWBG IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV2053 |
SHIMON PERES DISCUSSES DISENGAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC [...] (C) SUMMARY: During a one-hour meeting in Tel Aviv on March 31, Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres told Senator Carl Levin, accompanied by Senate staff and a delegation from the Michigan Fund, that he and Prime Minister Sharon have similar thoughts on continuing disengagement in the West Bank, b [...] |
2005-04-04 12:58:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KPAL ECON KWBG OREP IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV230 |
2005 Budget Passes First Reading [...] (SBU) The Knesset approved on January 12 the first reading of the 2005 Budget and the 2005 Arrangements Bill by a vote of 64 in favor to 53 against. The vote included a number of surprises: Likud party rebels who are vehemently opposed to disengagement and threatened to deep six the budget vo [...] |
2005-01-12 15:06:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV2338 |
GOI TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PATENT TERM EXTENSION [...] (C) Summary. On April 13 local research-based pharmaceutical representatives expressed concern about GOI intentions on the issue of patent term extension legislation. The representatives said that they considered the patent-term extension (PTE) roll-back as direct compensation to the generi [...] |
2005-04-14 12:27:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV2367 |
EGYPT/ISRAEL GAS DEAL TO BE SIGNED IN EARLY MAY [...] (C) Summary: Egypt and Israel appear to be coming closer to signing a gas deal that has been in the negotiations for years. The GOI says that the governments are ready to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by early May. In addition, the two companies involved, Israel Electric Corporat [...] |
2005-04-15 07:59:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG IS EG GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE |
| 05TELAVIV2486 |
LEGAL OPINION REQUESTED ON ISRAELI GARBAGE DUMPING [...] (C) Summary: Media reports of plans for large-scale dumping of Israeli garbage on the West Bank have raised questions about the legality of such waste sites under both Israeli and international law. The Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority will ask that the issue be placed on the agen [...] |
2005-04-20 13:08:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL SENV KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV2506 |
NEA ADVISOR DISCUSSES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN [...] (C) Summary: Minister of Environment Shalom Simhon and Finnish Embassy Counselor Matti Tulonen expressed their support for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on environmental issues in meetings with NEA Senior S&T Advisor Charles Lawson. The GOI Ministry of Environment is proposing that the Isr [...] |
2005-04-21 08:45:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV EAID PREL PGOV KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV2532 |
MEPP ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: RENEWED [...] (C) Summary: NEA Senior S&T Advisor Charles Lawson discussed renewed Japanese interest in leading the Multilateral Peace Process Environment Working Group with Japanese DCM, GOI Minister of Environment, and GOI MFA Director for Multilateral Peace Talks Coordination. Lawson suggested re-engag [...] |
2005-04-22 13:03:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV PREL EAID KPAL IS JA ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV2533 |
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN COOPERATION ON WATER ISSUES [...] (C) Summary: At Trilateral Water Talks in Tel Aviv April 7 Israeli and Palestinian water officials agreed to coordinate on water-related aspects of Gaza disengagement. Israeli Water Commissioner, Shimon Tal, and Palestinian Water Authority Chairman, Fadel Ka'wash, agreed to begin working on a [...] |
2005-04-22 13:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV EAID PREL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV2537 |
THE GOI'S ECONOMIC PLAN FOR THE NEGEV AND GALILEE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Vice Premier Shimon Peres is leading the GOI effort to consolidate a series of public- and private-sector development initiatives for the Galilee and Negev regions, which the GOI will push forward in tandem with disengagement. To date there remains no comprehensive planning docum [...] |
2005-04-22 14:00:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL SENV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV2540 |
ARAB-ISRAELI REACTIONS TO GOI'S NEGEV AND GALILEE [...] (C) SUMMARY: In April Econoff met with several Israeli-Arab advocacy groups who expressed concern over the GOI's economic development plan for the Galilee and the Negev, which the GOI is pushing forward in tandem with disengagement. Citing historical disenfranchisement of Israeli Arabs in imp [...] |
2005-04-22 14:34:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV2749 |
LABELING SETTLEMENT GOODS: NOT ALL IS SETTLED [...] (C) Summary. The agreement between the EU and the GOI on labeling requirements for goods produced outside of Green Line Israel came into force on February 1, 2005. The agreement calls for identification on customs shipping documents of the city of origin for all products shipped from Israel [...] |
2005-05-03 11:51:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE SETTLEMENTS |
| 05TELAVIV285 |
NSC'S GABI BLUM ON WORLD BANK PROCESS, PERES, [...] (C) Summary: NSC strategic advisor Dr. Gabi Blum met with EconCouns January 13 to discuss movement on the World Bank process, Shimon Peres' projected role in disengagement planning, and potential GOI dialogue with the PA on settlement assets and other economic aspects of withdrawal. On the Wo [...] |
2005-01-14 16:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KWBG ECON PREL IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV293 |
NETANYAHU TO CODEL KYL ON ECONOMIC REFORMS, [...] (C) Summary: Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu outlined for CODEL Kyl and the Ambassador in a January 9 meeting the economic reforms he has undertaken during his tenure. The reforms include cutting government expenses, reducing taxes, privatizing some state-owned enterprises, and fixing t [...] |
2005-01-18 11:38:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV2939 |
CODEL FRIST'S MEETING WITH FINANCE MINISTER [...] (C) SUMMARY: On May 2, Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined to CODEL Frist the economic evolution in Israel since he became finance minister in 2003. Netanyahu said he had increased taxes, reduced government expenditures, while simultaneously combating welfare fraud, challengin [...] |
2005-05-10 15:03:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON IS XF ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV2940 |
FINANCE MINISTRY DIRECTOR GENERAL TELLS AMBASSADOR [...] (C) Summary. The Ambassador met May 9 with Finance Ministry DG Yossi Bachar to discuss a full range of bilateral economic issues, including Israel's request for U.S. assistance to promote Negev/Galilee development, an overview of the recently-concluded Joint Economic Development Group (JEDG) [...] |
2005-05-10 15:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV2955 |
FINANCE MINISTRY CONFIRMS GOI DISENGAGEMENT LAW [...] (C) Finance Ministry staff informed Mission May 11 that GOI disengagement legislation specifies a 3.4% deficit target, including disengagement expenditures, for 2005 only. This corrects statements made by Finance DG Bachar and by other Israeli officials during the Joint Economic Development G [...] |
2005-05-11 12:48:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV2985 |
KNESSET FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR BRIEFS AMBASSADOR [...] (C) Summary. Knesset Finance Committee chair Yaakov Litzman discussed Israeli economic and political developments with the Ambassador May 9. Litzman highlighted the difficult budgetary situation created by disengagement, noting that his committee had failed to agree that day on approving le [...] |
2005-05-13 10:07:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PREL KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV3151 |
GOI MOVES AHEAD ON STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE NEGEV [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GOI is moving ahead to prepare a comprehensive strategy to develop the Negev and Galilee regions, a plan which has as one of its objectives the reduction of public opposition to and concern over the disengagement. Two private consulting firms Daroma and Mckinsey have been con [...] |
2005-05-24 15:02:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL SENV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV3188 |
ISRAEL: MODERATING FIRST QUARTER GROWTH POSES [...] (U) Israeli growth moderated in the first quarter of 2005 to 2.9%, following four quarters of growth in 2004 between 3.5 to 4.4%. Business sector GDP grew by 3.4%, which was also lower than any quarter in 2004. The overall deceleration reflected moderating growth of both exports and imports [...] |
2005-05-26 10:20:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV3223 |
ISRAEL POLICE TALK POLICY AND TACTICS TO COMBAT [...] (C) SUMMARY: An Israel National Police (INP) official outlined the GOI's fight against money-laundering and other offenses during the DEA Asset Forfeiture Seminar held May 15 to 19 in Tel Aviv. The official described methods used by criminals to transfer illicit profits, and how the GOI's p [...] |
2005-05-27 10:49:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER EFIN GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE COUNTERTERRORISM |
| 05TELAVIV350 |
PERES ON INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS FOR PA [...] (C) Summary: Deputy PM Shimon Peres met with the Ambassador recently and discussed prospects for renewed peace process negotiations with the PA, as well as his new role in coordinating economic aspects of the disengagement plan and development of the Negev and Galilee. Peres was skeptical t [...] |
2005-01-20 11:31:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KWBG ECON EFIN PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GOI INTERNAL GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV363 |
FINANCE MINISTRY DG ON U.S. ASSISTANCE, BUDGET AND [...] (C) Summary. Economic Counselor and Deputy held a wide-ranging meeting with Finance Ministry DG Yossi Bachar on January 18. Bachar discussed the Cabinet's January 16 decision to name him chair of a committee coordinating all assistance requests to the USG. He believes this would give coher [...] |
2005-01-21 07:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PREL KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV380 |
GAZAN ECONOMY DISRUPTED BY KARNI CLOSURE [...] (SBU) Summary: The closure at Karni terminal, which has been in effect since the January 13 attack that killed six Israeli employees, has caused the agriculture, furniture, and garment sectors within Gaza to lose some USD four million and to lay off over 1,000 workers. In the Gazan marketpla [...] |
2005-01-21 15:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KWBG ECON ETRD IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV3971 |
NEW BOI GOVERNOR FISCHER OPTIMISTIC ON ISRAELI [...] (C) New BOI Governor Stanley Fischer expressed optimism about the Israeli economy in a courtesy call by the Ambassador. Referring to the first-quarter slowdown in GDP growth, Fischer said he had to be a bit circumspect in his views. He nonetheless felt the recent drop of unemployment to 9.1 [...] |
2005-06-24 11:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV3973 |
GOI VISION FOR GALILEE AND THE NEGEV, A TRIP BACK [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: As the GOI moves to develop its strategic policy plans for the Negev and the Galilee a closer look at the failures of the past efforts is instructive. The three plans - the National Outline Plan 31 (1990) which served to find ways to absorb immigration from Soviet Union and Et [...] |
2005-06-24 12:14:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PREL SENV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV3991 |
TAX PLAN APPROVED BY THE GOI [...] (C) Summary. The GOI approved a multi-year tax plan on June 5, prepared by the tax authority and the State Revenues Administration of the Ministry of Finance. The plan focuses on enabling Israel to become a more attractive and competitive location for investors while reducing income tax rat [...] |
2005-06-24 14:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV4066 |
THREE BEDOUIN MOSQUES IN THE NEGEV ORDERED [...] (C) SUMMARY: The GOI has served demolition orders for three mosques built in Bedouin unrecognized villages in the Negev. The regional council for the Bedouin, an Israeli-Arab NGO, is taking action to publicize the threat to these mosques as a means of pressuring the GOI to back off on the dem [...] |
2005-06-28 13:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL IS PHUM ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV4201 |
GAZA NGO LEADER DESCRIBES HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT [...] (SBU) Summary: According to Jamal Safi, chairman of the Environmental Protection and Research Institute (EPRI) and winner of the prestigious Zayed International Prize for the Environment, key health and environmental challenges for Gaza include blood-borne infectious diseases, lead poisoning [...] |
2005-07-06 09:12:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV EAID EAGR TBIO SOCI KHIV PREL KPAL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV4246 |
(C) ISRAEL WILL NOT SUBMIT REVISED OFFER FOR [...] (C) Econoff delivered reftels to Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor staff. Yoram Zara (Director Multilateral Agreements Division); Yair Shiran (Director International Agreements and Trade Policy) and Ami Levin (Multilateral Trade Division, and POC for North America) all stated that Israel [...] |
2005-07-07 14:53:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV426 |
ISRAELI ACTIONS ON GENETIC RESOURCES AND BENEFIT [...] Summary: Israel has a legal and institutional framework to protect biodiversity. Although Israel does not have a specific law that prohibits the introduction of alien species, it does restrict the import of plant species included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [...] |
2005-01-25 14:03:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR EAID SENV TBIO IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV4264 |
ISRAELI PROFESSOR HOPES GOI DEVELOPMENT PLANS WILL [...] (C) SUMMARY: A Ben Gurion University professor working closely with the Bedouin community in the Negev discussed the GOI development initiative for the Negev, still a concern for the Bedouin. The professor said he is putting together a plan which will bring the GOI and the Bedouin leadership [...] |
2005-07-08 13:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL IS ISRAELI SOCIETY ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV4281 |
NGO'S HOPE GOI PLANS FOR NEGEV AND GALILEE WILL [...] (C) SUMMARY: Israeli and Israeli-Arab NGO's have expressed growing concern about GOI plans for economic development in the Galilee and Negev. The Chairman of the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP) stated that the core goal of the government's plan is to give land to the Jewish popul [...] |
2005-07-11 12:03:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL SENV PGOV PHUM EFIN IS ISRAELI SOCIETY ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV466 |
Privatization Update: GOI Sells Israel Discount [...] (U) The Israeli government's privatization program is moving forward. On January 22, GOI Accountant General Yaron Zelka concluded an agreement with prominent businessman and Seagram heir Matthew Bronfman for the transfer of 26% of Discount Bank to the Matthew Bronfman group for a price of NIS [...] |
2005-01-26 14:42:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL LABOR COMMERCE |
| 05TELAVIV4728 |
(C) ISRAEL CONSIDERS WITHDRAWING FROM GOVERNMENT [...] (C) Summary. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor (MOITL) is considering withdrawing from the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) if the GOI is unable to maintain offsets at the current level. MOITL staff claim that economic analysis and industry advocacy have made it clear that cost [...] |
2005-07-29 13:13:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV4729 |
KNESSET ADOPTS BACHAR CAPITAL MARKET REFORMS [...] (SBU) Summary. The Bachar capital market reforms won Knesset approval on Monday, July 25 by of vote of 62-1-1 (in favor, opposed, abstention). The Bachar reforms force banks to sell off their Kupot Gemel (provident funds) and mutual funds. However, lobbying by the banking industry succeeded [...] |
2005-07-29 14:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV4819 |
DISENGAGEMENT COORDINATION: THE CUSTOMS UNION [...] No summary [...] |
2005-08-04 11:00:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON ETRD EAID IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV4879 |
NETANYAHU BECOMES SPOILER WITHOUT SPOILS AS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's dramatic August 7 resignation from government will not affect implementation of the disengagement plan starting August 17. It will also not bring down Prime Minister Sharon's government since the opposition is not sufficiently united to must [...] |
2005-08-08 12:37:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL KWBG IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV4880 |
FINANCE MINISTER NETANYAHU RESIGNS: ECONOMIC [...] (C) Summary: Minister of Finance Benyamin Netanyahu resigned on Sunday, August 7th during the Cabinet session in which the implementation of the first stage of disengagement was approved. Within hours of Netanyahu's resignation the stock market in Israel lost 5.3% of its value. Late Sunday n [...] |
2005-08-08 12:52:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV PREL ELAB EAIR IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV4948 |
ROADS LEADING TO NEGEV DEVELOPMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: Public sector, NGO and academic leaders indicate that success of the GOI's economic development initiative for the Negev is contingent upon a fair, inclusive and robust plan. In their view, that plan should address, among other things, the historical land dispute between the sta [...] |
2005-08-11 08:36:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV4979 |
BUDGET BATTLE BEGINS [...] (C) Summary: At approximately 0100 on August 10, the Israeli Cabinet approved the draft 2006 Budget by a vote of 12-8. Negotiations over budget cuts in the wake of former Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's August 7 resignation took longer than expected. The two main changes to expenditure [...] |
2005-08-11 14:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV EAIR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV5077 |
SECOND MEETING OF THE EGYPT-ISRAEL QIZ COMMITTEE [...] (C) Summary: The second meeting of the Egypt-Israel Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) committee met on August 14 in Jerusalem. The GOE claimed that more than USD 61 million worth of QIZ products have been sent to the U.S. during the period under review, consisting of at least USD 8.6 million [...] |
2005-08-16 15:01:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5082 |
NSA EILAND SAYS DISENGAGEMENT GOING WELL, BUT [...] (C) Summary: In an August 15 meeting with NEA A/S Welch and the Ambassador, Israeli NSC Director Giora Eiland and Deputy Director Eran Etzion assessed that it seems disengagement "is going to be easier than expected." The majority of the discussion centered on what would happen after diseng [...] |
2005-08-17 04:40:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL EG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5124 |
THE ISRAELI TOURISM SECTOR, JANUARY TO JUNE 2005 [...] (U) Summary: The number of tourist entries from January to June 2005 increased 27.3 percent year-on-year. The Bank of Israel (BOI) is forecasting a total of 1.9 million visitors this year contributing to a 0.2 percent increase in GDP. The BOI and Bank Leumi are citing a calmer security situ [...] |
2005-08-18 14:36:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5279 |
AVIAN FLU PREPAREDNESS IN ISRAEL - A MAJOR [...] (SBU) Summary: The GOI is putting together plans for dealing with a possible outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) and will share those with Embassy once available. The Ministry of Health has purchased USD 10 million worth of the Tamiflu vaccine and has been in contact with international agencies [...] |
2005-08-26 13:02:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO ECON PREL SOCI EAGR IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV531 |
PALESTINIAN INVESTMENT FUND EARNINGS MAY SEED GAZA [...] (C) Summary: The Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF) will vote February 10-12 on whether to cash out on over USD 300 million of capital gains made on worldwide investments. Board members are split over the vote, reportedly fearing that PA MinFin Salaam Fayyad will appropriate earnings for his o [...] |
2005-01-31 05:59:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN EAID ECON KWBG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV534 |
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BURNS MEETING WITH DEPUTY [...] (S) Summary: In a January 25 meeting with NEA Assistant Secretary Burns and the Ambassador, Deputy Prime Minister SIPDIS Peres outlined GOI efforts to revitalize the Palestinian economy. Noting the unexpected success of PA Prime Minister Abu Mazen's steps toward improving the security situa [...] |
2005-01-31 08:42:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV5375 |
DRUZE LEADER FROM GALILEE SAYS ECONOMIC AND [...] (U) SUMMARY: Unemployment and education are key concerns of the Druze community in Northern Israel according to a Druze business and community leader. He indicated that the Druze want a successful and strong Israel and have contributed by serving in Israel's military which is the only signif [...] |
2005-09-01 13:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV544 |
DOE DELEGATION DISCUSSES EXPORT CONTROLS WITH [...] (C) SUMMARY: Israeli officials briefed a visiting DOE delegation on nuclear export-control measures during meetings in Tel Aviv on January 18-20. In recognition of their adherence to the NSG Guidelines and promulgation of new export control legislation, the Israelis requested U.S. help in obt [...] |
2005-01-31 10:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | KNNP MNUC PARM IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 05TELAVIV5458 |
ASHKELON DESALINATION PLANT OPEN FOR BUSINESS [...] (U) Summary: The Ashkelon desalination plant began providing potable water for the Israeli national water grid in mid-August, according to Gustavo Kronenberg, general manager of the private consortium that built and is operating the plant. By the end of this year, Ashkelon, the largest reve [...] |
2005-09-07 07:13:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV PREL KPAL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV5575 |
ORGANIZED CRIME AND NARCOTICS TRADE IN ISRAEL [...] (U) SUMMARY: According to an Israeli law enforcement official, all categories of criminal activity are on the rise. The illegal drug trade, organized crime, murder, and extortion present major challenges to the Israeli police. While countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and South Americ [...] |
2005-09-09 13:35:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | SNAR PREL PTER EFIN ISRAELI SOCIETY GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5698 |
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS [...] (C/NF) Summary: Officials from the MFA, Environment Ministry, and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) plan to meet post-disengagement to discuss whether and how to go forward with the Environmental Experts Committee (EEC). Progress on restarting the EEC, suspended [...] |
2005-09-16 10:23:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | SENV PREL PGOV KPAL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV570 |
ISRAEL'S COMMITMENTS TO THE USG AND THE WORLD BANK [...] (S) Summary. As of the end of January 2005, the GOI had shown various levels of commitment to fulfilling its "Weissglas" commitments to the USG. It is following through more consistently on its promise to engage on the World Bank process dedicated to facilitating a viable, post-disengagement [...] |
2005-01-31 15:07:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN PREL ECON KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV575 |
ISRAELI BUSINESS LEADER ENVISIONS A [...] (C) Summary: Dov Lautman, chairman of the board of the Israeli textile giant Delta, talked to EconCouns January 23 about economic prospects for a post-disengagement Gaza Strip. Emphasizing that it is impossible to "predict the future" of security and politics, Lautman argued that donors must [...] |
2005-02-01 06:50:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KWBG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5892 |
BOI FOLLOWS FED AND RAISES INTEREST RATE TO [...] (U) On September 25, the Bank of Israel (BOI) announced a .25 percent increase in interest rates, bringing the short-term rate to 3.75 percent. This was the first change since the Central Bank lowered rates by 0.2 percent to 3.5 percent at the end of January, 2005. In its September 25 press [...] |
2005-09-29 07:44:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV5951 |
MINISTRY OF FINANCE DG BACHAR CREDITS U.S. LOAN [...] (C) In a September 29 meeting with Ambassador Jones, Minister of Finance Director General Joseph Bachar, was very upbeat about the prospects for the Israeli economy. While cautious about predicting that the good times would continue, he noted the positive effect of the calm of the past year, [...] |
2005-10-03 13:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | EAID ECON IS PREL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6006 |
ISRAEL MOVES AHEAD WITH PATENT TERM EXTENSION [...] (C) Summary. The proposed Patent Term Extension (PTE) Revision which passed an initial reading in the Knesset in July 2005, could become law as early as November 2005 and is almost certainly assured a quick approval. Debate is expected to resume in the Knesset Judicial Committee on October 1 [...] |
2005-10-07 08:58:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6020 |
WATER OFFICIALS DISCUSS COOPERATION FOLLOWING [...] (C) Summary: At Trilateral Water Talks in Tel Aviv September 22 Israeli and Palestinian water officials agreed to discuss possible new water supplies for Gaza, including the purchase of water from the Israeli grid for the former settlement areas and the possibility of larger quantities from t [...] |
2005-10-07 14:12:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV EAID PREL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT |
| 05TELAVIV6160 |
ISRAEL SEEKING REGIONAL COORDINATION ON AVIAN [...] (SBU) Summary: The GOI is hoping to use an existing health grouping to pull together a meeting of health ministers to coordinate regional preparations on avian influenza. The Turkish Health Minister reportedly has agreed to host such a gathering. GOI officials hope that there can be some US [...] |
2005-10-20 13:33:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO EAGR PREL IS CY EG JO KPAL KWBG TU ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV6170 |
ISRAELI NGO PROPOSING TO TRACK INFECTED MIGRATORY [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel is making a proposal to the GOI Ministries of Agriculture and Health to set up a surveillance system focused on migratory water fowl which are more likely than over migratory birds to be carriers of the H5N1 strain of avian influ [...] |
2005-10-21 12:53:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | TBIO EAGR PREL ECON IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV6238 |
AVIAN INFLUENZA: GOI ASSISTING PA; GROUPS FEAR [...] (SBU) Summary: Israeli officials are in daily contact with their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority and have been testing birds on behalf of the PA. GOI veterinary officials have provided their Palestinian counterparts with antigens to detect avian influenza. GOI and PA veterinary o [...] |
2005-10-31 09:37:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO EAGR PREL ECON KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV6279 |
VPM OLMERT PREDICTS HIS OWN POLITICAL FUTURE, AND [...] (C) Summary: During an October 31 introductory meeting Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (who also is acting Minister of Finance and Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labor) told the Ambassador that the Israeli economy was performing well, and that his challenge was to figure out how to spend a r [...] |
2005-11-03 07:42:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD EFIN KIPR IS ELECTIONS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6332 |
SHIMON PERES ASKS ADMINISTRATOR JOHNSON FOR EPA [...] Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres has written to USEPA Administrator Johnson requesting that a team of 2-3 EPA experts visit Israel for one week to advise on sustainable solutions for the Ramat Hovav chemical industry and hazardous waste disposal site located in the Negev. Embassy has provide [...] |
2005-11-03 15:37:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | SENV PREL EIND KSCA PGOV IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV6355 |
ISRAEL SUPPORTS U.S. APPROACH TO CSD ENERGY ROUND [...] (U) The Ministry of Environment shares U.S. views on the recent Water Round of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and looks forward to working closely with the U.S. and other like-minded parties in the Energy Round. MOE officials have made the following points to ESTH officer [...] |
2005-11-04 14:53:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV ECON ENRG EAID AORC IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV6405 |
LABOR UNIONS LOSE POWER AND INFLUENCE, RELY ON THE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Histadrut labor federation leaders told poloff October 31 that the movement has lost power to influence legislation since Histadrut's 1994 divorce from the Labor Party, which formerly served as its surrogate in the Knesset. To reverse the organization's declining impact on pub [...] |
2005-11-08 17:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB PGOV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV6617 |
BUSINESSMAN DISCUSSES EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI GAS DEAL [...] (C) Summary: According to Nimrod Novik, the senior vice president of the Merhav Group, "all systems are go" for the export of USD 2.5 billion worth of Egyptian natural gas to Israel over the next two decades. Novik, whose company is the Israeli partner in the deal, noted that the Egyptians had [...] |
2005-11-23 08:30:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ENRG ECON PREL IS EG GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6626 |
U.S. TREASURY DISCUSSES WITH GOI ESTABLISHMENT OF [...] (C) SUMMARY: Israeli military intelligence officials headed by Brigidier-General Kuperwasser met with Treasury policy advisor Lebenson, Post's Defense Attach and econoff to discuss a U.S. Treasury initiative to establish a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) or Financial Follow-up Unit (FFU), a [...] |
2005-11-23 12:23:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER EFIN ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE COUNTERTERRORISM |
| 05TELAVIV6627 |
GOI TOURISM OVERVIEW AND PROJECT INITIATIVES [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ministry of Tourism (MoT) Marketing Director Levi told econoff that 1.7 million tourists have visited Israel this year, and brought three billion dollars to the Israeli economy. He stressed that although U.S. travel warnings for Israel have been eased, the warnings have hurt the [...] |
2005-11-23 12:32:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EAIR ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6667 |
BEDOUIN PROFESSOR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT GOI TOURISM [...] (C) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has several projects in the planning stages designed to improve the Bedouin employment situation in the Negev. Michal Uziyahu from the Negev Development Authority (NDA) said one tourism plan divides the Negev into six regions and calls for the GOI t [...] |
2005-11-28 10:50:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 05TELAVIV6720 |
AVIAN INFLUENZA: NO CONFIRMED H5N1 IN ISRAEL; [...] (U) INTRO AND SUMMARY: This message is Post's response to Ref A questions regarding the GOI's efforts to prepare for avian and pandemic influenza, and its capability to respond to an AI epidemic. Questions are answered in the order provided in reftel. To date, there have been no/no confir [...] |
2005-12-01 12:14:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | TBIO SENV EAGR EAID PREL IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV6762 |
Bank Leumi Privatization a Great Success for [...] (U) On November 15, in a dramatic success for the GOI's three-year-long privatization drive, the Cerberus and Gabriel private investment groups (also known as Barnea Investments), headed by former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, won the tender and purchased 9.99 percent of Bank Leumi from the [...] |
2005-12-02 14:28:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV6763 |
Fischer Takes Command: BOI Rate Hike Counters [...] (SBU) In an expected move, the Bank of Israel (BOI) announced a 0.5 increase in interest rates on November 28, bringing the base rate to 4.5 percent. This was the Central Bank's third consecutive monthly hike, and the most pronounced, following increases of 0.25 percent at the end of both Sep [...] |
2005-12-02 15:18:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 05TELAVIV7022 |
POVERTY HYPE REFLECTS DECLINE OF SOCIALISM IN [...] (S) In advance of the upcoming elections, many politicians, reporters, and advocacy groups have been trumpeting "poverty" as the most important issue facing Israeli society. In reality, apart from a few isolated pockets, Israel does not face grinding "third world-style" poverty as a systemi [...] |
2005-12-21 08:14:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV7030 |
NNSA ADMINISTRATOR BROOKS' DECEMBER 6-9 VISIT TO [...] (U) Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security/Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Linton Brooks visited Israel December 6-9 for a series of discussions of ongoing cooperation between NNSA and the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC). IAEC Director Gene [...] |
2005-12-21 13:26:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL OTRA ENRG KNNP PARM PINR PGOV PTER EAID TRGY TSPL IR IS ISRAEL RELATIONS GOI EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV7099 |
CONFERENCE PROMOTES NEGEV AND NEW MINISTRY [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Globes business daily newspaper hosted several hundred private and public officials at a business conference where the GOI promoted its Negev Development Plan. A panel of prominent GOI officials lead by former Vice Premier Shimon Peres presented the development plan, which ca [...] |
2005-12-30 13:41:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON PGOV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV71 |
GOI RESPONSE TO DATA EXCLUSIVITY DEMARCHE [...] (S) Ambassador Kurtzer delivered points in reftel to Vice PM and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Ehud Olmert on January 4, 2005. Olmert objected to the language used in the demarche, but he accepted the principle that if the data exclusivity legislation is withheld from passage by the [...] |
2005-01-05 14:36:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE LABOR COMMERCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV7102 |
ISRAELI AVIAN FLU-RELATED RESTRICTIONS ON POULTRY [...] SUMMARY: On October 13, 2005 Israel banned all imports of poultry products from Turkey following a reported case of AI there. Israel currently bans the import of poultry and poultry products from areas where AI cases have been confirmed - Southeast Asia, Croatia, Russia, and Romania. The su [...] |
2005-12-30 14:11:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | EAGR ETRD TBIO IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY FINANCE GOI EXTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV723 |
PERES PURSUES DIRECT TALKS ON GAZA DISENGAGEMENT [...] (S) Summary: DPM Shimon Peres is moving quickly to initiate direct negotiations with the PA on Gaza Disengagement economic issues. Following the template established by the World Bank process, Peres met February 2 with Mohammed Dahlan and Sa'eb Erekat to set a path toward face to face negoti [...] |
2005-02-07 08:07:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | PREL ECON KWBG IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV85 |
YOSSI GAL AND ILAN BARUCH DISCUSS AHLC, WORLD BANK [...] (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with Yossi Gal and Ilan Baruch of the MFA's Economic Affairs division Wednesday, December 28 to discuss Israeli follow-up from the Oslo AHLC, World Bank-proposed monitoring and benchmarks, and GOI and Israeli private-sector contact with the Palestinians on sett [...] |
2005-01-06 10:02:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 05TELAVIV891 |
SENATOR ALLEN'S FEBRUARY 13 MEETING WITH SHIMON [...] (C) Summary. Senator Allen and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Shimon Peres discussed their mutual interest in nanotechnology as well as ways to bolster the Palestinian economy. Peres stressed the importance of moving quickly on improving freedom of movement within Palestinian areas and [...] |
2005-02-15 09:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL EFIN KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY |
| 05TELAVIV904 |
NETANYAHU AS FINANCE MINISTER: CONFOUNDING THE [...] (C) Summary. Upon assuming office in 2003, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented a series of far-reaching economic reforms aimed at overcoming Israel's economic crisis of 2001-2002, the worst in its history. Originally drafted under Netanyahu's predecessor Silvan Shalom, they encom [...] |
2005-02-15 12:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN ELAB SOCI PREL EIND ENRG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 05TELAVIV922 |
PALTRADE OFFICER ON SETTLEMENT GREENHOUSES, PAPA [...] (C) Summary: PalTrade cash crops officer Hashim Al-Hussaini spoke to Econoff February 9 on Gazan agribusiness and job creation post-disengagement. On settlement assets, Hussaini emphasized the need for direct GOI-PA security coordination in order to safeguard greenhouses and other infrastru [...] |
2005-02-15 15:39:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON KWBG EAID IS SETTLEMENTS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06KIRKUK29 |
(SBU) KIRKUK LEADERS CALMING TENSIONS OVER DANISH CARTOONS [...] (SBU) Kirkuk's Muslim community remains angry about the negative portrayals of Muhammad in a Danish journal. However, there has been widespread public condemnation by leaders of virtually all of Kirkuk's ethnic and religious groups of the recent church bombings in Kirkuk. END SUMMARY. (U) [...] |
2006-02-06 12:53:00 | REO Kirkuk | CONFIDENTIAL | BAGHDAD FOR POL AND NCT |
| 06TELAVIV1105 |
H5N1 CONFIRMED IN ISRAEL POULTRY DEATHS; ONE [...] (SBU) Summary: On March 19, the Kimron Veterinary Institute Laboratory at Bet Dagan confirmed the presence of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in turkey flocks from the kibbutzim at Ein Hashelosha and Holit, and at Sede Moshe and Nahshom. The outbreak has not spread beyond these areas (ide [...] |
2006-03-20 13:21:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFLU TBIO EAGR AMGT AMED CASC KSCA KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 06TELAVIV1135 |
BIRD FLU SPREADS IN ISRAEL [...] (SBU) Summary: Israeli agriculture officials confirmed H5N1 avian influenza at two chicken farms not far from turkey farms just outside Gaza where the outbreak of bird flu started last week. H5N1 will likely be confirmed at a third new location in the Negev. Birds from Moshav Kinneret in n [...] |
2006-03-21 14:00:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFLU TBIO EAGR AMGT AMED CASC KSCA KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV1181 |
ISRAELI MARKETS STABLE IN FACE OF ELECTION [...] (C) Israel's three main parties have all responded to the unusual attention being paid to social-economic issues in this election campaign. They have devoted considerable attention in their platforms to the need to narrow the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. The Labor Party, [...] |
2006-03-24 14:29:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV EFIN ELAB PINR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL ELECTIONS |
| 06TELAVIV1220 |
EXPORT CONTROLS: COMMERCE U/S MCCORMICK'S MARCH 9 [...] (C) At his March 9 meeting at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Commerce Under Secretary for Industry and Security David McCormick was told by MFA Deputy Director General Miriam Ziv and her team that the MFA is committed to seeing Israel's export control system improved through new [...] |
2006-03-30 06:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ETTC PREL PINS IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS LABOR COMMERCE |
| 06TELAVIV1272 |
EXPORT CONTROLS: COMMERCE U/S MCCORMICK'S MARCH 9 [...] (S) Israeli Defense Ministry officials told Commerce Under Secretary for Industry and Security David McCormick March 9 SIPDIS that (A) the MOD has assumed the lead role in re-organizing Israel's export control system in the wake of hi-tech transfer scandals that plagued the U.S.-Israel relat [...] |
2006-03-31 14:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ETTC PREL PINS IS ISRAEL RELATIONS GOI EXTERNAL MILITARY ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1273 |
GOI COMMITTED TO KEEPING HUMANITARIAN GOODS FLOWING [...] (C) Summary: One week after the reopening of Karni, imports into Gaza at the commercial terminal average more than 200 truckloads per day. The overwhelming majority of cargo is of humanitarian supplies. MOD advisor Brigadier General (res.) Baruch Spiegel stressed to Econ Chief that the GOI [...] |
2006-04-03 06:15:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON PTER KWBG KPAL IS COUNTERTERRORISM ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV1392 |
MFA STILL HAS RESERVATIONS ON CUSTOMS PROTOCOL; [...] (C) Summary: During an April 5 meeting with the Ambassador, MFA Director General Ron Prosor said that the GOI recognizes it is essential of keeping Karni open and only close the crossing when there is a specific threat. The Ambassador said a customs protocol is in Israel,s interest because t [...] |
2006-04-06 16:17:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PTER ECON KWBG KPAL ASEC EG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1393 |
GOI PUSHES FOR RESUMPTION OF POULTRY EXPORTS TO [...] (U) This message contains an action request: Please see paragraph eight. 2. (C) Summary: In a meeting with the Ambassador on April 4, the Directors General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor and the Ministry of Agriculture requested the expeditious resumption of poultry exports t [...] |
2006-04-07 03:59:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD EAGR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1642 |
GOI ISSUES TENDERS FOR CONSTRUCTION IN HAR ADAR [...] (U) Press reported today, April 26, that the Israel Lands Authority, the Commissioner for Absentee Property, and the company Arim, Ltd., issued a tender for 33 plots to construct single-family houses in Har Adar settlement, northwest of Jerusalem. The tender, which was published in Yediot Ah [...] |
2006-04-26 15:10:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PGOV KWBG IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1645 |
ISRAEL LOOKING TO JOIN WHALING COMMISSION BY JUNE [...] No summary [...] |
2006-04-26 16:09:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIS SENV PREL IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 06TELAVIV1817 |
GAZA-ISRAEL COMMERCIAL CROSSINGS UPDATE [...] (C) Summary: The crossings between Gaza and Israel are important commercial ports. The GOI is devoting significant resources to upgrade and expand several crossings, including Erez, Kerem Shalom and Tarqumiya. The GOI has also instituted a risk management scheme in order to promote securit [...] |
2006-05-10 12:11:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL KWBG KPAL IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1876 |
AGAINST THE ODDS, MIDDLE EAST CANCER CONSORTIUM [...] (SBU) Summary: The Middle East Cancer Consortium is extending its reach and adding attendees from additional countries to its activities. Independent Palestinian health professionals remain eager to participate in MECC conferences and courses while PA officials are off-limits. Member countri [...] |
2006-05-12 18:16:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO PREL KPAL KWBG IS XF XD ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 06TELAVIV1902 |
AVIAN INFLUENZA: ISRAELI POULTRY FARMERS RECEIVE [...] To curb the spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Israel in March 2006, the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture ordered the culling of approximately 1.3 million birds, including broilers, layers and breeding stock (turkeys and chickens). According to a USDA GAIN Report issued May 10, 2006, [...] |
2006-05-16 08:49:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED | KFLU TBIO ECON EAGR IS KBWG ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1946 |
ISRAEL'S NEW FINANCE MINISTER COMMITTED TO FISCAL [...] (C) Finance Minister Hirchson told the Ambassador that the new government would continue to practice fiscal restraint, and will resist strong pressures from members of the coalition to open the spending floodgates. He pledged that the 2006 budget would not be renegotiated and would keep to t [...] |
2006-05-18 15:45:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EAID PGOV PREL IS KWBG KPAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1978 |
ISRAELI PLAN FOR CONTINUED SHEKEL CHECK CLEARING [...] (S) The Bank of Israel (BOI) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) are developing a package of proposals to present to the Israeli banks that handle shekel check clearing for Palestinian Banks. The purpose is to convince the banks to continue to provide the check-clearing services, which they offici [...] |
2006-05-19 15:43:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON EFIN EAID PGOV PREL IS KWBG KPAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1981 |
FM LIVNI PROMOTES FINANCIAL PRESSURE STRATEGY [...] (S) In separate meetings with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officials on May 2, the GOI requested that the Treasury Department warn the Misr Bank in Cairo against making electronic fund transfers (EFT) to individual Palestinian accounts at the Bank of Palestine in Gaza. Foreign Minister ( [...] |
2006-05-19 17:16:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | EFIN IS PREL PTER KPAL KTFN ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1982 |
CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR CONVEYS ISRAELI BANKING [...] (S) Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer and his antiterrorism finance team told Treasury U/S Stuart Levey and the Ambassador on May 2 that Israeli banks want to end their relationships with Palestinian banks due to fears of being accused of involvement with terror finance. They said that [...] |
2006-05-19 17:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON EFIN EAID PGOV PREL IS KWBG KPAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV1984 |
IPR: JUSTICE MINISTER AGREES TO HELP [...] (SBU) Minister of Justice Haim Ramon told the Ambassador May 16 that he would try to play a constructive role in addressing USG concerns about protection of intellectual property rights. Ambassador Jones expressed USG concern about Israel's poor performance in protecting the patents of U.S. [...] |
2006-05-19 17:41:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KIPR IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2107 |
COALITION TURBULENCE UNLIKELY TO DERAIL 2006 BUDGET [...] (C) Despite disagreement between PM Olmert and DefMin Peretz over cuts to the defense budget, the Knesset will likely pass the 2006 budget by June 18, the end of the legally mandated 45-day period within which a newly installed government must pass a budget in order to avoid elections. United [...] |
2006-06-01 11:39:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ECON IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2230 |
PASSAGE OF 2006 BUDGET PRESAGES EXCEEDING LGA [...] (C) After a six month delay, the 2006 Israeli budget, the largest ever at NIS 271 billion (USD 60 billion), passed the Knesset on June 7 by a vote of 53 for, 25 against, and 45 abstaining. A considerable amount of expensive last- minute financial maneuvering was needed to secure the abstentio [...] |
2006-06-09 13:25:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2301 |
ALLEGED ISRAELI CORRUPTION AT KARNI IMPEDES U.S. MARKET ACCESS [...] No summary [...] |
2006-06-14 11:22:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET//NOFORN | ETRD ECON PGOV KWBG PINR IS SCRM ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV2345 |
DEADLINE FOR ENDING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN BANKING [...] (C) A senior Bank Hapoalim official said that all Israeli banks were set to cut ties with Palestinian banks due to the fear of being implicated in a chain of financial transactions that might enable a terrorist attack. He said that the banks want the GOI to issue them a list of suspect indi [...] |
2006-06-15 16:12:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN ETRD EAID PGOV PREL IS KWBG KPAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2413 |
AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH SHAS CHAIRMAN AND TRADE [...] (C) Summary and Comment: In a June 19 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labor and Shas Party Chairman Eliyahu Yishai outlined his priorities as a minister as well as Shas's position on PM Olmert's realignment plan. The Ambassador enumerated USG concerns regarding p [...] |
2006-06-20 16:20:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD PREL PGOV KIPR IS KINR GTIP ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 06TELAVIV2421 |
NGO LEADERS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT SHARED MOUNTAIN [...] (SBU) PALESTINIAN AND ISRAEL REPRESENTATIVES OF ECOPEACE/FRIENDS OF THE EARTH MIDDLE EAST (FOEME) MET WITH NEA SENIOR S&T ADVISOR CHARLES LAWSON, CONSULATE GENERAL ECONOMIC OFFICER AND EMBASSY ESTH OFFICER AT THE CONGEN IN JERUSALEM JUNE 14 TO DESCRIBE THEIR FINDINGS ON THE DETERIORATING MOUNT [...] |
2006-06-21 12:48:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV EAID PREL KPAL KWBG JO IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 06TELAVIV2430 |
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT'S TOP PRIORITY IS [...] (C) Summary: Environment Minister Gideon Ezra told NEA Senior S&T Advisor Charles Lawson June 15 that his top priority is cooperation with the Palestinians on sewage and other pollution concerns. He said that Defense Minister Peretz had determined that such cooperation was humanitarian and in [...] |
2006-06-21 13:00:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV EAID PREL KPAL KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 06TELAVIV2451 |
PLANS FOR NEGEV/GALILEE DEVELOPMENT MOVING SLOWLY; [...] (C) Summary: Although a plan for Negev development approved last year included significant funding levels, the current budget included no new funds. Current Negev initiatives include encouraging industry and the military to shift operations there, using solar power to generate electricity, d [...] |
2006-06-22 09:03:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ENRG SENV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 06TELAVIV2469 |
INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTRY COOPERATING WITH [...] (C) Summary: Israel continues to supply 43 million cubic meters of water to Palestinians on the West Bank, and Israeli Water Commission officials communicate daily with Palestinian Water Authority counterparts on "emergency and humanitarian issues." GOI officials support donor projects to red [...] |
2006-06-22 13:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | SENV ENRG PREL KPAL KWBG JO IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
| 06TELAVIV2510 |
BEN-ELIEZER DISCUSSES ENERGY REFORMS AND [...] (C) Summary: National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told the Ambassador on June 21 that he is looking to Central Asia, particularly to Azerbaijan, for long-term oil contracts. He reported that he recently returned from a trip to Baku in which he discussed with Azeri officials [...] |
2006-06-24 14:36:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV SENV KWBG ENRG IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2571 |
(S) SHIMON PERES ON HAMAS, JORDAN, NEGEV-GALILEE [...] (S) Summary: In a June 26 meeting with Ambassador Jones, Minister for Negev and Galilee Development Shimon Peres said the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier at Kerem Shalom by militants, without the knowledge of Hamas Prime Minister Haniyeh proves that Haniyeh is as weak as President Abbas, at l [...] |
2006-06-27 19:30:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET | ECON ETRD PREL PGOV PTER KWBG JO AF IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2679 |
MOF OFFICIAL PRESENTS THE CASE FOR EXTENDING THE [...] (C) Finance Ministry official Eyal Klein told Deputy Economic Counselor July 4 that the GOI decision to increase year-to-year spending from 2007 to 2009 by 1.7 percent, in violation of its commitment to the U.S. in the 2003 U.S. - Israel Loan Guarantee Agreement (LGA) to keep spending increa [...] |
2006-07-05 15:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | SECRET//NOFORN | ECON EFIN EAID PGOV PREL IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 06TELAVIV2755 |
ISRAEL TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDS [...] (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly. Not for internet distribution. 2. (SBU) Summary: In a July 2 meeting with EconCouns and EmbOffs, Israeli officials notified the USG of their intent to sign agreements with two European standards organizations, the [...] |
2006-07-12 06:58:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAEL RELATIONS |
| 06TELAVIV2781 |
ISRAELI MOD DG TOREN ON EXPORT CONTROL REFORM [...] (C) SUMMARY: MOD DG Jacob ("Kobi") Toren told the Ambassador July 11 that the GOI's new Export Controls Division took over the processing of new export licensing requests this month. Toren also explained that the government hoped to formally submit the Defense Export Control Act to the Knes [...] |
2006-07-13 17:09:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PARM ETTC PINS IS GOI EXTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV2782 |
SHIMON PERES ADVOCATES ACTION ON ECONOMIC PEACE [...] (C) In a July 11 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister for Negev and Galilee Development Shimon Peres presented copies of signed letters from Jordan's King Abdallah, Palestinian President Abbas, and Prime Minister Olmert, soliciting former President Bill Clinton to chair an international board [...] |
2006-07-13 19:24:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD PREL PGOV PTER KWBG JO IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 06TELAVIV2787 |
HERZOG LAMENTS TIMING OF SECURITY CRISES ON [...] (C) In a meeting with the Ambassador on July 12, Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog indicated that Israel would soon retaliate against targets in Lebanon for Hizballah's attack across Israel's northern border. Herzog lamented the timing of the dual crises in Gaza and Lebanon, claiming the deteriorating [...] |
2006-07-14 11:19:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD PREL PGOV PTER KWBG JO IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV295 |
SOLID FUNDAMENTALS KEEP ISRAELI ECONOMY ON GROWTH [...] (SBU) According to preliminary Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) data released on January 1, 2006, the Israeli economy grew by 5.2 percent in 2005, and GDP per capita (USD 17,800) increased by 3.3 percent. Following growth rates of 1.7 percent in 2003 and 4.4 percent in 2004, in the initial [...] |
2006-01-20 14:09:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN IS EIND EINV ETRD ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 06TELAVIV450 |
POVERTY SITUATION IMPROVES AMID HEADLINES TO THE [...] (C) The poverty report released on January 23 by the Israeli National Insurance Institute (INII) indicates a marked slowdown in the rate of increase of poverty in Israel. At a time when the sharp cut in welfare payments resulting from the enactment of the Netanyahu economic reform program in [...] |
2006-01-31 13:06:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI SOCIETY |
| 06TELAVIV56 |
ISRAELI MARKETS STABLE IN FACE OF SHARON CRISIS [...] (U) The Israeli financial markets reacted to the news of Prime Minister Sharon's stroke with less severity than might have been expected. The shekel depreciated by a little over one percent, and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) declined less than four percent after being down by more than s [...] |
2006-01-05 17:27:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN ETRD ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL |
| 06TELAVIV689 |
ISRAELI MINISTER OF HEALTH ON IPR ISSUES, [...] (SBU) Summary: The Ambassador raised intellectual property concerns with newly appointed Health Minister Yaakov Edery. Edery told the Ambassador that he is working to establish a "green line" system for FDA-approved pharmaceuticals. The MOH is looking to renew its cooperative agreement with [...] |
2006-02-16 06:18:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | TBIO ETRD KIPR PREL SENV KPAL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GOI EXTERNAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV712 |
POLLUTED MOUNTAIN AQUIFER BINDS PALESTINIANS AND [...] (SBU) Summary: A recent symposium on pollution of shared Israeli-Palestinian groundwater highlighted that sewage and untreated solid waste seriously threaten the health of the Mountain Aquifer which provides water to Palestinians, Israeli settlers on the West Bank, and other Israeli citizens [...] |
2006-02-17 14:05:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | SENV PREL EAID PGOV KPAL KWBG IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV714 |
FISCHER GOVERNS A STABLE ISRAELI ECONOMY [...] (C) Bank of Israel (BOI) Governor Stanley Fischer told the Ambassador that the Israeli economy is in good shape, and that, contrary to statements by some politicians, the poverty situation was actually improving. He said that the political issue was really one of relative rather than absolute [...] |
2006-02-17 15:55:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN PGOV IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE GOI INTERNAL ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS |
| 06TELAVIV808 |
SPECIAL 301 REVIEW: US EMBASSY TEL AVIV SUBMISSION [...] (C) Summary. The overall climate for protection of intellectual property in Israel worsened in 2005. In December 2005, the Knesset passed a revision to patent term extension regulations that significantly curtailed the period of patent protection for research-based pharmaceuticals. The GOI c [...] |
2006-02-27 12:22:00 | Embassy Tel Aviv | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ETRD KIPR IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE |
| 08BAGHDAD2935 |
FORMER TRADE MINISTRY DIRECTOR GENERAL DETAILS [...] (S) SUMMARY: A Director General with 34 years of experience at the Ministry of Trade detailed to us September 7 allegations of widespread corruption within the Ministry of Trade including complicity by the Minister and the Deputy Inspector General. He also described some of the schemes used [...] |
2008-09-11 10:47:00 | Embassy Baghdad | SECRET | STATE FOR INL CP NEA AND |
| 08BRASILIA1257 |
BRAZIL- DEMARCHE DELIVERED -OFAC NARCOTICS KINGPIN ACT [...] (SBU) On September 18, 2008 ECONOFF delivered reftel demarche to the Council for the Control of Financial Activities (COAF) at the Ministry of Finance. COAF officials Joaquim da Cunha Neto and Bernardo Mota took delivery of the document, which outlined the reasons behind the designation of thr [...] |
2008-09-22 14:32:00 | Embassy Brasilia | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTFN PTER PINR EFIN VE BR SNAR AND KCRM PREL |
| 08KUWAIT994 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: OFAC NARCOTICS KINGPIN ACT [...] (SBU) Post delivered reftel demarche and background paper to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 17. Post will report substantive response septel. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait [...] |
2008-09-18 05:20:00 | Embassy Kuwait | UNCLASSIFIED | KTFN PTER PINR EFIN VE LE SNAR AND KCRM PREL |
| 08STATE97316 |
DEMARCHE REQUEST: OFAC NARCOTICS KINGPIN ACT [...] (SBU) This is an action request; see paragraph 3. 2. (SBU) Summary. On September 12, 2008, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) will designate two senior Government of Venezuela (GOV) officials and one former official under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin [...] |
2008-09-11 15:32:00 | Secretary of State | UNCLASSIFIED | KTFN PTER PINR EFIN VE LE SNAR AND KCRM PREL |
| 09DAMASCUS324 |
MURAD CUSTODY CASE: CONSUL GENERAL PRESENTS [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Consul General met with the Syrian Director of Consular Affairs Haitham Maashfej on May 5, in order to provide him with additional information about the Murad child custody case. Director Maashfej was given a copy of the diplomatic note and supporting background information. [...] |
2009-05-07 11:34:00 | Embassy Damascus | CONFIDENTIAL | CASC KOCI KJUS PREL SY MURAD MAYA AND OMAR |
| 09USNATO313 |
RECOMMENDATION FOR DOD DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC [...] No summary [...] |
2009-07-20 16:43:00 | Mission USNATO | UNCLASSIFIED | SYMBOL AND PASS LINE |