VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #4227/01 2911006
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181006Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0622
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0814
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 4658
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0255

UNCLAS AMMAN 004227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/IPA, AND NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ECIN ETRD PREL SENV KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: Israeli Embassy, Japanese, and Jordanian views on Peace 
Valley and Peace Corridor 
 
REF: A) TEL AVIV 2999 
      B) NEA/RA Lawson 10/16 email on Red-Dead 
      C) TEL AVIV 2912 
      D) TEL AVIV 1039 
      E) AMMAN 1150 
      F) TOKYO 1005 
      G) TOKYO 6576 
 
(U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for internet distribution. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Following Israeli President Peres' late September 
briefing of Ambassadors Jones and Hale and subsequent request for 
the U.S. to encourage Jordanian progress on implementing elements of 
the Peace Valley Project, Post has engaged Government of Jordan 
(GOJ) officials, representatives of the Japanese International 
Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Israeli Embassy officials in Amman on 
the status on the Peace Valley/Peace Corridor proposals.  There is 
general agreement on the basic pillars of the plan - economic 
stability for Palestinian areas, establishment of an agro-industrial 
park in the Jericho area, reconstruction of the Damiya Bridge, and 
construction of an airstrip to transport products to Gulf markets - 
but confusion abounds about the scope of the overall project, its 
name, and who is responsible for next steps.  Israel, or at least 
President Peres, seems to favor a broad array of projects including 
the Red Sea-Dead Sea water conveyance project, JICA is focusing on 
feasibility studies for the agro-industrial park, and Jordan's 
priority is the Damiya Bridge.  Post observes that the key partners 
are not communicating well, and absent progress and commitments at 
the next meeting of the four parties (Israel, Jordan, Palestinian 
Authority, Japan), the project/s could well wither away.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
Corridor for Peace and Prosperity, or Peace Valley? 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2.  (U) The Japan-proposed "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" 
initiative (aka Peace Corridor) aims to improve the economic 
stability of the Palestinian areas (reftels).  During the August 15 
ministerial-level meeting of the Four Party Consultative Unit, the 
parties agreed to the establishment of an agro-industrial park in 
Jericho, as well as several supporting programs such as the 
reconstruction of the Damiya Bridge, and the development of an 
airstrip in the Northern Jordan Valley (on the Jordanian side) to 
transport products to Gulf markets.  Meanwhile, Peres has been 
championing the "Peace Valley" concept to include infrastructure and 
tourism projects along the 520 kilometers stretching from the Red 
Sea to the northern Israeli-Jordanian border.  Peres' program is 
broader in scope, and includes projects such as expansion of 
Jordan's Aqaba International Airport to serve both Aqaba and the 
Israeli city of Eilat as a "Peace Airport." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) COMMENT:  These differing views of the Peace Corridor are 
further complicated by nomenclature.  Many of Embassy Amman's 
interlocutors use Peace Valley and Peace Corridor interchangeably. 
The Peace Corridor can be considered a sub-set of the Peace Valley. 
END COMMENT. 
 
Jordan and JICA:  Similar Views and Objectives 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (SBU) During an October 3 meeting, JICA representatives informed 
EconCouns of Israeli agreement to rebuild the Damiya Bridge.  JICA 
reported no consensus, however, on the next steps in proceeding with 
reconstruction efforts.  Jordanian officials confirmed to EconCouns 
that Jordan is ready to begin the necessary studies and designs, and 
seeks Israeli cooperation in arranging for a technical site 
investigation.  Jordan is waiting for the GOI to confirm that it is 
ready to proceed with construction, verify that the immediate 
surroundings are free of mines, and facilitate a joint visit to the 
site in order to allow a Jordanian team to take aerial images of the 
site.  While Jordan is waiting for Israeli action, Israel believes 
that the ball is in Jordan's court. 
 
The View from Israel's Embassy in Amman 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Israeli Embassy PolCouns (and acting DCM) Itai Bartov 
reconfirmed to EconOff on October 4 GOI support for Peace 
Valley/Corridor programs as economic development tools to bolster 
improvements in the political climate.  He tempered his comments by 
noting the projects will require patience and a long time 
perspective.  Noting that the Economic Office of the Israeli 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for the initiative, he 
chided the Palestinians for always including political aspects to 
strictly economic discussions, and commented that the Jordanians, 
while cooperative in select areas (narcotics, agriculture, avian 
influenza, and medical exchanges), were difficult to engage on many 
 
of the Peace Valley/Peace Corridor programs.  He also provided the 
following status reports: 
 
(U) Agro-industrial park in Jericho:  there is good cooperation on 
promoting this under the Peace Corridor framework, and the project 
is on track with a JICA-led feasibility assessment. 
 
(SBU) Damiya bridge reconstruction:  the Israeli army has overcome 
its initial reluctance to this project.  The Israeli acceptance was 
conveyed to Jordan at the August 2007, four-party Dead-Sea meeting. 
NOTE:  Bartov was not familiar with the GOJ requests in paragraph 4 
above. END NOTE. 
 
(SBU) Aqaba/Eilat "Peace Airport":  The Secretary General of the 
Israeli Ministry of Tourism is coming to Amman on October 22 to 
discuss tourism cooperation.  This joint airport is one of the 
agenda items.  Bartov was quick to note this was a bilateral 
initiative (referred to in the Peace Valley) and would not involve 
the Palestinians. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Previous discussions with GOJ and Israeli interlocutors 
have described Israeli-Jordan discussions to develop an MOU for the 
Peace Valley.  A second meeting of the four-party technical experts 
was also expected later in October.  Bartov was not able to provide 
additional information. 
 
Red-Dead Pipeline: In or Out? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Jordanians have consistently stated that the Red 
Sea-Dead Sea water conveyance project to generate power and 
transport water was not/not within the Peace Valley/Peace Corridor 
framework.  Peres' Peace Valley initiative, however, highlights the 
Red-Dead as one of the national priority projects for Israel. 
Bartov believed it unlikely the project could be fast-tracked 
outside the World Bank framework. NOTE: A private-sector company is 
pitching a proposal, with Peres' support, for a $2 billion Red-Dead 
project which would short-circuit the planned World Bank feasibility 
study and subsequent tendering process (ref A).  Jordanian officials 
are reviewing this proposal, but without prejudice to the World Bank 
effort.  END NOTE. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.gov.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
HALE