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DE RUEHEG #0255/01 0421525
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8116
INFO RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND PM 
NSC FOR PASCUAL 
SECDEF FOR OSD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2018 
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: DEFMIN TANTAWI SAYS EGYPT READY TO MEET ISRAEL AND 
PA ON GAZA 
 
Classified By: DCM Stuart E. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Minister of Defense Tantawi told A/S Welch 
February 7 that he would welcome a visit by Israeli Defense 
Minister Barak or Amos Gilad to discuss moving forward with 
solving the Gaza border crisis.  Tantawi said that he 
personally would not object to four-way talks involving the 
PA, Egypt, Israel, and U.S., but that was a "political 
decision" and would need final approval from others, 
including EGIS Chief Omar Soliman and Foreign Minster Aboul 
Gheit.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) NEA Assistant Secretary David Welch and Ambassador 
Ricciardone met February 7 with Egyptian Minister of Defense 
Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi.  (Joining Tantawi were 
Assistant Minister of Defense for Policy MG Ahmed Al Assar, 
Assistant Minister of Defense for Armament MG Fouad Abdel 
Halim, and Director of Military Intelligence MG Murad Mowafy. 
 OMC Chief MG Collings, L/FO Jonathan Schwartz, NSC Michael 
Pascual, and ECPO Min-Couns William Stewart, notetaker, 
joined A/S Welch and Ambassador Ricciardone.)  Tantawi began 
the hour-long meeting by reporting that the situation at 
Rafah on the Gaza border was "calm."  "But we must do 
something to stop Hamas." 
 
¶3. (C) A/S Welch said that the U.S. has three goals in Gaza, 
which we hoped Egypt shared:  denying Hamas any political 
advantage, and ensuring that the victory clearly goes to the 
PA and President Abbas; ensuring that the sovereignty and 
security of Egypt and Israel are protected; and regulating 
the border between Egypt and Gaza in a better way.  While 
Hamas' breaching of the border wall was not good, it 
nevertheless presented an opportunity to move forward, and 
for Egypt to strengthen its position on the border and 
improve its image in the United States. 
 
¶4. (C) Tantawi stressed that the Gaza problem did not belong 
to Egypt alone -- it affects Israel and the United States, 
too.  Thus, the effort needed to address it should not come 
only from Egypt, but from all those affected.  You must try 
to convince Israel to stop cutting off humanitarian supplies 
to the Palestinians, Tantawi said.  "Not all Gazans are 
Hamas."  The trouble is that when Israel tightens the siege 
around Gaza, "thousands of innocent men, women, and children 
suffer."  As the pressure increases, the inevitable explosion 
of people will be against Egypt, Tantawi said, not Israel, 
because "the Palestinians know the Israelis will shoot them 
but we won't."  And this is exactly what happened when Hamas 
breached the border wall and tens of thousands Palestinians 
flooded into Egypt, creating chaos.  "This is what Hamas 
wants." 
 
¶5. (C) A/S Welch asked Tantawi if he had been in 
communication with the Israelis on this issue.  We talk all 
the time, Tantawi said, "but they do not always respond." 
What we need, he continued, is not a military solution, since 
we do not face an army on the other side of the border, but 
civilians.  Instead, the three of us -- the U.S., Israel, and 
Egypt -- need to sit together and find a political solution. 
If terrorists are able to exploit this situation, Tantawi 
said, all of us will be losers. 
 
¶6. (C) A/S Welch responded that there would be four losers -- 
including the Palestinians.  Tantawi agreed.  The Egyptians 
have tried to get the PA and Hamas to work together to 
address the Gaza border issue, but they have very deep 
divisions.  We are forced to deal with Hamas on the tactical 
level, Tantawi said -- they are the ones on the other side of 
the border.  A/S Welch stressed that the United States 
believes in dealing only with the PA; we do not believe in 
dealing with Hamas.  It is very important that Hamas not be 
seen as the authority.  All the political credit for solving 
this crisis must go to Egypt, Israel, the U.S. and the PA -- 
not Hamas. 
 
¶7. (C) A/S Welch stressed that it was important for Egypt, 
Israel, and the PA to come out of the border crisis stronger, 
and in a better position politically.  For example, Egypt's 
image in the U.S. before the border crisis had been one of 
not doing enough to stop the tunneling and smuggling under 
the border into Gaza.  To change that image, Egypt should 
strengthen the border wall and tighten up its border 
controls.  Tantawi noted that the U.S. also had border 
problems; "Can you control your border with Mexico one 
hundred percent?"  It is important to understand that 
smuggling is dangerous for Egypt, too, Tantawi said.  The 
real reason for Egypt's poor image in the U.S., Tantawi 
continued, is that some people -- "you know who" -- spread 
false stories that distort the true image of Egypt.  The fact 
is that we are doing our best.  But we need help.  We have 
asked many times to increase our border guard forces.  Now we 
only have 750 men to guard a border that is 14 kilometers 
with Gaza, 20 kilometers on the coast, and 20 kilometers 
deep.  But the Israelis will not allow us to increase our 
border guard forces, and then they blame us for smuggling and 
tunneling. 
 
¶8. (C) Nonetheless, Israel respects you, A/S Welch stressed. 
"And we respect Israel," Tantawi said.  If we did not respect 
each other, it would be a disaster.  Dialogue with Israel is 
the key to resolving these issues, A/S Welch offered.  You 
both have a common interest in maintaining security in the 
region, an interest the U.S. shares.  We all have a chance 
now to change the situation for the better; we need 
higher-level political dialogue now.  A/S Welch said he 
thought the Israelis would be willing to participate in a 
four-way meeting, and offered to propose it to them.  He 
added that if Israeli DefMin Barak visits Egypt or sends 
someone such as Amos Gilad, he should talk to Tantawi and 
Director of Military Intelligence MG Mowafi.  Tantawi agreed. 
 Ambassador Ricciardone clarified that Egypt would not object 
to the PA attending such a meeting.  That is a political 
decision, Tantawi said, and you should discuss with EGIS 
Chief Omar Soliman Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit first.  A/S 
Welch said he would do so, underscoring that it was important 
for everyone that Hamas not be handed a victory. 
 
¶9. (U) A/S Welch did not have the opportunity to clear this 
cable. 
RICCIARDONE