VZCZCXYZ0028
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTVA #0763 0721534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE1002 0721609
O 131534Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000763 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UN IS
SUBJECT: UNSYG IN JERUSALEM MARCH 24-26 
 
REF: A) USUN NEW YORK 0183 B) TEL AVIV 0679 
 
¶1. (SBU) AS REPORTED REFTELS, UNSYG BAN KI-MOON WILL TRAVEL 
TO JERUSALEM AT THE END OF MARCH FOR MEETINGS WITH UN STAFF, 
AS WELL AS ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS.  ACCORDING TO THE 
UN OFFICER PLANNING THE TRIP, THE UNSYG IS SCHEDULED TO 
ARRIVE AT BEN GURION AIRPORT LATE ON MARCH 24.  UN OFFICIALS 
NOTED THAT THE ISRAELI MFA HAD RAISED VIGOROUS OBJECTIONS TO 
THE ARRIVAL TIME, WHICH IS ON A SATURDAY EVENING 30 MINUTES 
AFTER THE END OF THE JEWISH SABBATH. 
 
¶2. (SBU) THE UNSYG WILL MEET WITH LOCAL UN STAFF AND TRAVEL 
TO RAMALLAH TO SEE PRESIDENT ABBAS AND OTHER PALESTINIANS ON 
MARCH 25.  HE WILL MEET WITH PM OLMERT, FM LIVNI, VICE PM 
PERES, KNESSET SPEAKER ITZIK, AND POSSIBLY DEFMIN PERETZ ON 
MARCH 26.  THE MFA HAS ALSO PLANNED A VISIT TO YAD VASHEM AND 
SHORT MEETINGS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE THREE ISRAELI 
SOLDIERS ABDUCTED NEAR THE GAZA AND LEBANESE BORDERS LAST 
SUMMER.  THE UNSYG WILL DEPART EARLY JUNE 27, PROBABLY FOR A 
SHORT STOP IN JORDAN BEFORE CONTINUING TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR 
THE ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT. 
 
¶3. (SBU) UN OFFICIALS NOTED THAT THEY HAD READ PRESS REPORTS 
ABOUT A VISIT TO THE REGION BY SECRETARY RICE IN THE SAME 
TIME FRAME.  THE UNSYG'S PARTY HAS REQUESTED OVER 15 ROOMS IN 
THE DAVID CITADEL HOTEL IN JERUSALEM FOR THE DURATION OF THE 
VISIT. 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
VISIT EMBASSY TEL AVIV'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/NEA/TELAVIV 
 
YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THIS SITE THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S 
CLASSIFIED SIPRNET WEBSITE. 
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JONES