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Carol X Weakley  11/16/2006 03:23:31 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Carol X Weakley

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UNCLAS        TEL AVIV 04519

SIPDIS
CXTelA:
    ACTION: PD
    INFO:   DCM AMB

DISSEMINATION: PD
CHARGE: PD

APPROVED: PAO: HKFINN
DRAFTED: ACAO: RWEBB
CLEARED: 1. CAO 2.IO

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PP RUEHC RUEHAD RUEHAM RUEHJM
DE RUEHTV #4519/01 3190855
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150855Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7618
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1204
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1055
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 5054

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 004519 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/MCROUCH 
STATE INFO NEA/PPD AFERNANDEZ, DBENZE, NEA/IPA, NEA/PI 
JERUSALEM PASS ICD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL KMPI IS
SUBJECT:  Israeli Delegation of Six Arab Businesswomen Denied Entry 
to Abu Dhabi to Attend Businesswomen's Summit 
 
¶1. Summary: A group of six Israeli-Arab women traveling to Abu Dhabi 
to attend a MEPI sponsored businesswomen's summit were denied entry 
to the UAE on October 30.  The six were held for 12 hours in 
isolation under guard before being returned to Israel via Amman. 
The group's connecting tickets from Amman to Israel were not valid, 
and the six women were forced to stay in Jordan for two days, one of 
which at their own expense.  The women are asking for an explanation 
from the conference organizers and reimbursement of their personal 
expenses.  The following information is based on a debriefing of the 
six Israeli-Arab women and subsequent correspondence.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. On Monday, October 30, a delegation of six Israeli-Arab 
businesswomen was denied entry to Abu Dhabi to attend the Broader 
Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) Businesswomen's Summit.  The 
delegates arrived back in Israel on November 1.  The delegation had 
been invited by DOS and the conference organizers, the Abu Dhabi 
Businesswomen's Association and the Beyster Institute of the 
University of California at San Diego. The three-day conference, 
which brought together about 250 women from the Middle East/North 
Africa region who are dedicated to economic progress and positive 
reform, was supported by the State Department's Middle East 
Partnership Initiative (MEPI).  Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 
and Public Affairs Karen Hughes attended the conference. 
 
¶3. The delegation included five participants from previous MEPI 
programs who were invited directly by MEPI and the Beyster 
Institute.  MEPI asked PD Tel Aviv to submit only one nomination for 
the conference.  The single nomination, made in response to State 
118415 on July 27, 2006, constituted the entirety of PD Tel Aviv's 
direct involvement in the Abu Dhabi conference.  Prior to departure, 
the Beyster Institute was in direct contact with the Israeli 
delegation.  PD Tel Aviv had no knowledge of the selection process 
and was not asked by the Beyster Institute to assist in the travel 
arrangements for the Israeli participants. 
 
¶4. The original Israeli-Arab delegation consisted of seven members. 
One returned to Israel from Amman before boarding the flight to Abu 
Dhabi for unrelated reasons.  The six Israeli women who continued to 
Abu Dhabi were Raja Abu Ruken, Khadra al Sana, Jumana Boulos, Wafa 
Haj, Ebtihal Sheety, and Laila Toukhi. 
 
¶5. The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen's Association and Beyster Institute 
had assured the delegation they would receive visas at the airport 
upon arrival. The Israeli participants received numerous emails 
(most notably on October 12, 15, 24, and 27) from Christina Kelly 
and Anna Wood-Vasey of the Beyster Institute, which stated "your 
visa has been issued and you will receive it when you go through 
customs in Abu Dhabi (Wood-Vasey, October 24)."  On October 27, the 
participants received two separate emails assuring them all 
arrangements had been made and that it was safe to travel to Abu 
Dhabi. 
 
¶6. The delegation's flight arrived in Abu Dhabi at 1:00 a.m. on 
Monday, October 31.  Upon landing, the Israelis were singled out and 
taken off the plane by the UAE authorities to a VIP room where they 
were told they would not be allowed to attend the event and that 
they would have to return to Israel.  At 4:00 a.m., they were 
escorted to an isolated "military hotel" where they remained until 
12:30 p.m. while arrangements were made to return them to Amman. 
 
¶7. During the time they were held in Abu Dhabi, a man named "Sultan" 
who claimed to be from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stayed 
with them.  He told them that the Emirate authorities had notified 
the conference organizers a week before that the Israeli group did 
not have permission to enter and would not be allowed to attend the 
conference. 
 
¶8. While being held in the VIP room, they were prohibited from 
contacting anyone. When they managed to call Ms. Kelly, she told 
them that she would fix the problem.  She promised to contact them 
soon, but never called them back.  UAE authorities collected their 
passports and tickets and kept them until the delegation was on the 
plane out of Abu Dhabi.  Throughout their time in Abu Dhabi the 
women were constantly surrounded by security guards.  Each woman was 
accompanied by a security guard even while shopping for food and 
other necessities at the duty free and while using the toilet. 
 
¶9. "Sultan" came to the hotel at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 30, 
along with "Fatmeh" from the Emirate Chamber of Commerce.  They told 
the delegation that they were arranging for the delegation's return 
to Amman as soon as possible.  The delegation attempted to contact 
Ms. Kelly again from the hotel lobby.  They left her several 
messages to call them back on "Sultan's" mobile phone, but were 
unable to talk to her again. 
 
¶10. At 12:00 p.m. they were escorted by security guards back to the 
airport and were given business class tickets on "Al Ittihad" 
Emirate airlines, (Israelis are prohibited from traveling on this 
airline).  "Sultan" gave them a total of $1000 for all six of them 
for one night's hotel in Amman before their connecting flight to Tel 
Aviv.  Due to a problem with the connecting tickets to Tel Aviv, 
they were forced to stay two nights in Amman, one of which was at 
their own expense.  The women also arranged the connecting flight on 
their own without assistance.  They arrived in Israel on Wednesday, 
November 1, at 4:45 p.m. 
 
¶11. Upon arrival in Jordan, the delegation contacted PD Tel Aviv and 
expressed their frustration over the situation.  They feel they were 
"abandoned, mistreated and humiliated."  They are particularly 
bothered by the conference organizers' failure to come see them to 
explain the situation.  They are waiting for an explanation of how 
this incident took place.  The participants were looking forward to 
the summit; some of them were even scheduled to make presentations. 
 
------------------- 
PD Tel Aviv Actions 
------------------- 
 
¶12. PD Tel Aviv was made aware of the situation on Monday, October 
30, after a phone call to the Embassy from NEA/PI's Sonia Franceski 
in Abu Dhabi shortly before the delegation arrived in Amman. 
 
¶13. Post MEPI Coordinator contacted the MEPI office in Washington on 
Tuesday, October 31, for an update on the situation and to inquire 
whether anyone from the Department had attempted to contact the 
delegation in Amman to express our regrets.  He also asked whether 
the delegation would be reimbursed for their personal expenses 
incurred on the way back. 
 
¶14. PD Tel Aviv is pleased that most of our suggestions were 
incorporated into NEA press guidance on the issue.  The women 
themselves strongly desire that this issue not be raised in the 
media. 
 
¶15. Post MEPI Coordinator met and assisted the delegation when they 
arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport on November 1.  He and an FSN 
debriefed the six participants for nearly two hours at the airport. 
The women stressed the "humiliating" way they were treated in Abu 
Dhabi and their lack of contact with conference organizers and 
Department representatives throughout their ordeal.  As of November 
14, PD Tel Aviv has no knowledge of any attempt by the Beyster 
Institute to contact the women, despite a joint letter written by 
the women on November 4 addressed to NEA/PI and the Beyster 
Institute. 
 
¶16. PD Tel Aviv is compiling all relevant documents and receipts to 
pass on for reimbursement.  We understand that NEA/PI sent an email 
on November 1 to the women notifying them that their personal 
expenses would be reimbursed and instructing them to fax all 
receipts to the Beyster Institute.  PD Tel Aviv strongly recommends 
reimbursement for personal expenses incurred by the delegation. 
 
------------------- 
Continuing Concerns 
------------------- 
 
¶17. The women have expressed several concerns, and suggested actions 
that would be helpful to them. 
 
¶18. The six Israeli-Arab women feel they deserve a detailed 
explanation from the Beyster Institute as to how this situation 
occurred, why they were not contacted during or after the ordeal, 
and the steps taken to assure that future Israeli participants in 
DOS programs will not experience the same. 
 
¶19. The women were told repeatedly throughout their time in Abu 
Dhabi that they had attempted to enter the UAE illegally.  They fear 
that this suspicion of criminality will reflect negatively on them 
and cause them difficulty within their community and should they 
wish to travel throughout the region at a later date.  They desire a 
written statement from UAE authorities and clarifying that they were 
not suspected of criminal activity.  This is especially important to 
them, as they come from small, conservative communities where these 
rumors could adversely affect their reputations and their 
businesses. 
 
¶20. The women recognize the value of such programs, and hope that 
Israeli-Arabs will continue to be included in future Department 
sponsored regional conferences.  They fear that the difficulties 
they faced will lead to the exclusion of Israeli participants.  The 
women were very proud to have been invited to the conference, and 
many had been scheduled to present their business models.  They 
strongly believe that their participation in these types of events 
promotes peace and understanding, and is an opportunity to 
demonstrate how the different peoples of the region can co-exist. 
They feel that this opportunity was "unreasonably taken" from them, 
and desire to be included in another conference in the future. 
 
¶21. They ask for reimbursement of personal expenses incurred as a 
result of their denied entry into Abu Dhabi. 
 
¶22. PD Tel Aviv believes that the women's concerns are valid and 
supports their requests for written explanations and apologies, 
financial restitution, and inclusion in a future conference of this 
type.  PD Tel Aviv is a strong proponent of these types of programs 
and can attest to their positive results for post's MPP goals. 
CRETZ