VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #1672/01 1590701
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080701Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1521
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 2284
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0115
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0187
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0003
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 0627
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0548
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5421
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB IS IZ KCRM KIPR KJUS KPAL KWMN PHUM
PREF, SU 
SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER FRIEDMANN ON REFUGEES, IPR AND 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶1. (Summary) (SBU) In a meeting with Justice Minister Daniel 
Friedmann in Jerusalem on June 4, the Ambassador discussed 
the Magen David Adom (MDA)/Palestinian Red Crescent Society 
(PRCS) ambulance dispute, IPR issues, Darfur refugees, and 
family reunifications requests for Palestinian refugees from 
Iraq.  Friedmann unexpectedly said that approval for 
relocating 54 Palestinians from Iraq to West Bank/Gaza would 
not be a problem, and offered to facilitate their 
reunification.  The Minister acknowledged his recent appeal 
for humane treatment of Darfur refugees, but also emphasized 
the competing Israeli concern of preventing a flood of 
potential refugees from the Sudan.  Friedmann offered to look 
into the intellectual property rights (IPR) issues, and asked 
for specific cases of U.S. concern.  The Ambassador also 
discussed recent NGO allegations that some Palestinians have 
been tortured by Israeli services, noted the impending 
release of the Department's 2007 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
Report for Israel, and thanked the Minister for the 
participation of Ministry of Justice (MOJ) officials in a 
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) conference in 
Washington in January 2007.  (End Summary) 
 
--- 
TIP 
--- 
 
¶2. (U) In their first official meeting, the Ambassador 
discussed a number of issues with Justice Minister Daniel 
Friedmann, an academic with little political experience when 
Prime Minister Olmert appointed him in February 2007 to head 
the MOJ. The Ambassador informed the Minister that the 2007 
TIP Report for Israel would be released to the public on June 
12, and congratulated Israel on its adopting a labor 
trafficking law.  The Ambassador also expressed U.S. 
expectation of increased investigation and prosecution of 
labor trafficking offenses, and of appropriate Israeli 
investment into support -- notably a shelter -- for labor 
trafficking victims.  Friedmann agreed with the Ambassador's 
assessment that preventing trafficking also had a security 
benefit to Israel by concurrently hindering the flow of 
terrorists and drugs into the country. 
 
-------------- 
REFUGEE ISSUES 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Discussing Darfur refugees that have applied for 
refugee status in Israel, Friedmann reaffirmed that the 
Sudanese should be treated humanely, but emphasized that "on 
the other hand" there was a problem with how many people 
Israel can absorb and how long they would stay.  Friedmann 
suggested the problems should be resolved by the 
international community, who should "share the burden" both 
economically and in the acceptance of refugees. 
 
¶4. (U) The Ambassador raised the issue of another group of 
refugees -- Palestinians in Iraq.  Surprisingly, given the 
GOI's record in recent years on family reunification, 
Friedmann said there would be no problem accepting the 
Palestinians, after the Ambassador reassured him that the 
number in question was only 54 people.  (Friedmann clarified 
that Gaza might be problematic given the current situation, 
but saw no issues with reunifications in the West Bank.)  The 
Minister promised to do what he could to facilitate the 
process with the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and the 
Israeli security forces, and the Ambassador promised to 
convey the relevant information to Friedmann's office. 
 
------------------------ 
MDA/PRCS AMBULANCE ISSUE 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) The Ambassador reminded Friedmann of earlier MOJ 
involvement in the accession of Magen David Adom (MDA) to the 
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement) 
-- an accomplishment the U.S. invested considerable effort to 
bring about.  Noting U.S. concerns that the ongoing dispute 
over the stationing of Palestinian Red Crescent Society 
(PRCS) ambulances in an East Jerusalem hospital, the 
Ambassador warned that fallout from this ongoing dispute 
 
could potentially lead to a move by Arab nations to expel MDA 
at the Movement's November 2007 international conference. 
Friedmann saw the issue as the province of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health, however, and gave no 
indication that MOJ would re-engage on this matter. 
 
------------ 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
------------ 
 
¶6. (U) The Ambassador asked Friedmann for his perspective on 
allegations of torture of Palestinian security prisoners by 
the Israeli military and government in a Public Committee 
Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) report.  Friedmann said he 
was not aware of any specific cases referred to in the 
report, but insisted that all cases of suspected abuse were 
investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted.  Friedmann 
defended Israeli human rights practices, calling it a liberal 
country "considering it has been at war since its inception." 
 He noted that despite its constant war status, Israel did 
not have the death penalty.  The Minister suggested a 
comparison of how Israel -- in an "ongoing war" -- treats 
Palestinians with how other countries treat their minorities, 
saying Israel gives "favorable representation" to Arabs in 
government and business.  Friedmann said it was not only Arab 
countries (that fall short in the comparison) but that the 
Ambassador might "look at how other Western countries acted 
in times of war" and treated minorities "suspected of 
collaborating with the enemy." 
 
------------ 
IPR CONCERNS 
------------ 
 
¶7. (U) The Ambassador raised U.S. concerns about Israeli IPR 
protections and loopholes in draft copyright legislation in 
the Knesset.  Friedmann asked for specific cases illustrating 
U.S. concerns, i.e. with internet protections.  The 
Ambassador provided a nonpaper and promised to send a letter 
to Friedmann with details attached. 
 
------ 
MOJ/AG 
------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) When the Ambassador asked about his relationship 
with the Attorney General, Friedmann stressed that the 
Attorney General was "completely independent" and that 
Friedmann did not intervene in his activities.  The 
Ambassador also thanked the Minister for the participation of 
MOJ officials in a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) 
conference in Washington in January 2007.  When discussing 
the MLAT meeting, Friedmann brought up the question of 
Israelis incarcerated in U.S. prisons, and his preference for 
their relocation to Israeli prisons whenever possible. 
 
-------- 
BIO NOTE 
-------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Friedmann was accompanied by his media advisor 
Tzachi Moshe.  The Minister emphasized his lack of political 
experience, and claimed that his lack of political 
affiliation gave him independence that was important in his 
position.  Friedmann made no mention of his efforts to 
resurrect the so-called "infitada law" (which bans 
Palestinian suits for non-warfare related damages) that the 
High Court of Justice overturned in 2006. 
 
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