VZCZCXRO0059
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0203/01 0241507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241507Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5138
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 8917
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASH DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000203 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR OREP IS
SUBJECT:  Codel Voinovich Meeting with Prime Minister Olmert 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  On January 2, Codel Voinovich met with Israeli 
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the Prime MinisterQs Office 
in Jerusalem.  Senator Voinovich was accompanied by 
Representatives Rob Bishop (R, Utah); Phil Gingrey (R, 
Georgia); Steve Pearce (R, New Mexico) and Michael Turner 
(R, Ohio) as well as by the Charge and emboff note taker. 
The hour long meeting was frank and occasionally 
contentious and focused on border issues with Egypt, 
housing tenders in East Jerusalem and continued US 
support for Israel and the ongoing peace process. End 
Summary 
 
¶2. Senator Voinovich began the meeting by recounting the 
last time he saw Olmert in 2001 and lamented the fact 
that there had been little progress in the peace process 
since then until very recently.  Voinovich praised the 
current process which he termed as a Qwonderful 
opportunityQ for peace and a two state solution.  The 
senator pointed out that Arab support would be key to any 
solution and asked Olmert about Egyptian performance in 
safeguarding the border with Gaza.  Voinovich pointed out 
that Egyptian officials had complained to the Codel about 
Israeli officials privately complementing Egyptian 
actions in private meetings, but publicly condemning 
their actions in the press and going so far to circulate 
video recordings in the US Congress of Egyptian border 
guards in cahoots with HAMAS elements.  Voinovich stated 
that the Egyptians were concerned that this would damage 
USG assistance to Egypt and was unfair. 
 
¶3. Olmert pointedly responded by stating that the Egyptians 
had Qbetrayed their commitmentsQ under the peace accords 
and that the private meetings with the Egyptians had been 
far worse than any reported comments in the media. 
Olmert denied that the GOI had circulated any video to 
Congress and implied that Egyptian border forces where 
riddled with corruption and incompetence.  Olmert stated 
that although the peace accords allowed for as many as 
750 troops on the border, the Egyptians could only muster 
250 at any one time.  Olmert described the smuggling 
efforts in Gaza as enormous, including heavy arms, 
ammunition and contraband including narcotics. 
 
¶4. Voinovich pointed out that a recent US Army Corps of 
Engineers report indicated that sealing off the Gazan 
border from Egypt was far more complex than it seems at 
first blush and that the Egyptians were ready to spend up 
to 25 million USD to implement the recommendations of the 
report. Voinovich asked Olmert if Israel and the US or 
European Union could come up with a matrix and what 
Egyptian actions would constitute success and that the 
three sides would monitor progress together.  Olmert 
stated that Israel was Qan adultQ and did not need an 
Qolder uncleQ to watch out for IsraelQs security 
concerns.  In fact, responded Olmert, there was already a 
bilateral and quadrilateral mechanism in place to do so. 
However, Olmert did indicate a willingness to consider a 
trilateral framework for addressing the matter.  NOTE: 
Olmert was apparently referring to General DaytonQs four 
way monitoring group which has not met since the HAMAS 
takeover of the Gaza. 
 
¶5. Moving onto settlement and outpost activities, Olmert 
stated that he had given the order that no additional 
private land would be expropriated and any expansion on 
the West Bank would have to be directly approved by his 
office.  Responding to the Codel, Olmert explained that 
this did not apply to the municipality of Jerusalem or 
Qnatural growth of built up areas.Q  Olmert stated that 
both the Palestinians and the US Administration were 
familiar with the GOIQs position on settlements and that 
any Palestinian posturing on this issue was simply a 
negotiating tactic.  Olmert summed up that Har Homa and 
other expansion in the municipality of Jerusalem was an 
insignificant issue.  Far more pressing stated Olmert was 
the killing of two off duty I DF soldiers, apparently by 
terrorists associated with Palestinian Authority security 
forces.  Olmert pointed out that as a result of the 
murders, there was an outcry for the suspension of talks, 
but he (Olmert) had no intention of doing so. 
 
¶6. Responding to questions from other members of the Codel, 
Olmert stated that there was no humanitarian crisis in 
the Gaza strip, but that he was, Qunder no obligation to 
make my enemies life any easier.Q  Olmert recounted the 
constant bombardment of Qassam missiles and infiltrators 
coming from Gaza and that several crossing points were 
open six days a week to allow Gazans with humanitarian 
needs to enter Israel.  Olmert added that there were no 
restrictions on humanitarian assistance, and that over 
13,000 truckloads of private sector and NGO commodities 
 
TEL AVIV 00000203  002 OF 002 
 
 
have crossed into Gaza since the HAMAS takeover last 
June.  When questioned on PA President AbbasQ public 
comments concerning IDF actions in Gaza, Olmert stated 
that the comments were for public consumption and that in 
fact, Abbas wanted the IDF to take larger, more 
aggressive action against HAMAS and eliminate as many 
militants as possible. 
 
¶7. The meeting also touched on the problems that Israel had 
with the National Intelligence Estimate on IranQs nuclear 
program and the possibility of opening a dialog with 
Syria.  Each member of Codel Voinovich concluded with a 
firm commitment to Israel and IsraelQs security. 
 
¶8. This cable has been cleared by Senator Voinovich.