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DE RUEHTV #0263/01 0321137
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FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5248
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 8980
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 6454

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018 
TAGS: CASC IS KWBG MCAP MOPS PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: A/S BURNS' JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH MFA DG 
ABRAMOVICH 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Israeli MFA Director General Aharon 
Abramovitch updated U/S Burns January 24 on recent meetings 
between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams, noting 
that despite the previous day's incidents on the Egypt-Gaza 
border, the teams met that day.  Abramovitch expressed the 
GOI,s hope that the U.S. would not support any UNSC 
presidential statement regarding Gaza. U/S Burns reminded 
Abramovitch that the UNSC is still waiting for the Israeli 
report on their use of cluster bombs during the 2006 Second 
Lebanon War.  U/S Burns also raised the matter of problems 
that Arab and Palestinian Americans encounter at Ben Gurion 
airport.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Update on Negotiations on Core Issues 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) MFA DG Abramovitch updated U/S Burns on the 
negotiation of core issues that started ten days earlier. 
Abramovitch noted that despite the problems the day before in 
Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian teams met and discussed the 
core issues. Although the GOI originally envisioned that 
different negotiation committees would address distinct 
issues, the teams decided to discuss all issues in one small 
group. The Israeli team was led by FM Tzipi Livni, and the 
Palestinian team was led by former Palestinian Authority (PA) 
PM Ahmed Qurei (Abu Alaa). 
 
¶3. (C) Abramovitch said that the GOI is committed to 
continuing dialog on the core issues, but cautioned that the 
Palestinians may not want to continue if the situation in 
Gaza worsens. 
 
--------------------------------- 
General Fraser,s Imminent Arrival 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Ambassador Jones noted that General Fraser arrives on 
January 26 and said that he expects to spend one week to ten 
days in Israel each month. U/S Burns stressed that General 
Fraser is looking forward to proper progress on the Roadmap. 
 
¶5. (C) U/S Burns asked Abramovitch if the GOI had decided on 
an interlocutor for General Fraser.  After suggesting that 
IDF MGEN Ido Nechushtan might fill the role, Abramovitch 
later said that the GOI had not yet determined who will be 
Fraser,s counterpart.  Ambassador Jones stressed that the 
U.S. views Fraser,s mandate as broader than security and 
Palestinian compliance with the Roadmap.  Abramovitch 
responded that while he understood the U.S. viewpoint, the 
GOI prefers to assign someone with a security focus to this 
role.  Abramovitch then asked if the Palestinian interlocutor 
is known.  Ambassador Jones replied that it was not yet known. 
 
----------------------------------- 
UNSC Presidential Statement on Gaza 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Abramovitch expressed concern about a UNSC 
Presidential Statement on the situation in Gaza.  Abramovitch 
said that NEA A/S Welch and State Department Counselor Cohen 
had informed him the day before of the USG's intent to 
negotiate the terms of the UNSC Presidential Statement and to 
bring the context of the Gaza situation into the statement. 
Abramovitch stated Israel,s position that there should be no 
dialogue on the UNSC Presidential statement, noting that if a 
statement is released it will be a victory for Hamas and will 
work against the peace process and against PA President 
Abbas, who would not be able to speak out against such a 
statement.  Abramovitch stressed the GOI's hope that the U.S. 
would not support any UNSC Presidential Statement on the 
matter.  U/S Burns said he would check back with Washington 
about the progress of the statement. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Still Waiting on Israeli Cluster Bomb Report 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) U/S Burns raised the pending request by General 
Secretary Ban to receive an Israeli report on cluster 
 
SIPDIS 
munitions used by the IDF during the Summer 2006 Second 
Lebanon War.  Noting that Israel promised to deliver the 
report in October 2007, U/S Burns recommended that the GOI 
either turn in the data soon, or if they cannot, to note that 
to the UNSC now.  Abramovitch undertook to look into the 
status of the report.  (Note: We subsequently were informed 
that the report is in the final clearance process and should 
be provided to UNIFIL and the UNSYG shortly.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Treatment of AMCIT Arabs and Palestinians at Borders 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶8. (C) U/S Burns raised the issue of problems that Arab and 
Palestinian Americans have encountered when entering and 
exiting Israel. Offering a current example, A/S Burns 
mentioned an incident the night before in which a U.S. 
diplomat with a Muslim surname was held up for more than 30 
minutes at Ben Gurion airport while attempting to enter 
Israel on official business using a U.S. diplomatic passport. 
 Only after the U.S. Embassy urged the MFA to intervene was 
the diplomat allowed to enter Israel.  U/S Burns 
characterized this kind of treatment of an American diplomat, 
or any American, as objectionable.  U/S Burns also noted 
problems faced by American citizens traveling to visit or 
work in the West Bank.  He gave Abramovitch a non-paper on 
the issue and asked that the Israeli government commit itself 
to more cooperative treatment of American citizens. 
 
¶9. (C) Abramovitch asked that the USG distinguish between the 
problems at the airport and issues involving the West Bank. 
He apologized for the treatment the diplomat received, 
explaining that there was a similar name on a computer list 
of people Israeli security officials want to question. 
Abramovitch admitted the airport had become a problem, and 
that not only Americans were affected.  Advisor to the DG 
Ezra said that the MFA is working with airport screeners to 
resolve this problem.  He acknowledged that such problems are 
adversely affecting Israel,s image abroad, and noted that 
the MFA is currently recommending a USD 25 million project to 
resolve these problems by upgrading the airport,s computer 
system.  Embassy POLCOUNS noted that CA A/S Harty raised the 
same issue several months earlier during her visit to Israel. 
 
------------ 
PARTICIPANTS 
------------ 
 
¶10. (U) U.S. Participants: 
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns 
Ambassador Richard H. Jones. 
National Security Council Senior Director Michael Singh 
Embassy Political Counselor Marc Sievers 
Embassy Notetaker 
 
¶11. (U) Israeli Participants: 
MFA DG Aharon Abramovitch 
MFA North America Division Director Dan Arbell 
Aviv Ezra, Advisor to the MFA DG 
 
¶12. (U) This cable has been cleared by Under Secretary 
Burns. 
 
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