VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #1094/01 1441038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231038Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6811
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 9762

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR H/EX JENNIFER BUTTE-DAHL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OTRA AMGT ASEC IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL WELCOMES VISIT OF STAFFDEL ANDERSON, MAY 
26-28, 2008 
 
REF: (A) STATE 46800 (B) STATE 53923 (C) STATE 54634 
 
¶1.  Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem welcome 
the May 26-28 visit of Ms. Wendy Anderson, Mr. Clyde Ellis 
and Mr. John O,Brien.  Please note that all message traffic 
concerning travel to Israel and the Occupied Territories 
should be sent to both Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General 
Jerusalem.  The Embassy visit officer is Political Officer 
Alan Holst; phone 972-3-519-7437; fax 972-3-519-7484; cell 
972-50-548-1051.  The Consulate General visit officer is MEPI 
Coordinator Ben Orbach; phone 972-2-622-7259; fax 
972-2-624-9462; cell 972-54-808-3149.  Embassy visit officer 
and Consulate General driver and expeditor will meet the 
visitors at the airport.  Reservations for single non-smoking 
rooms have been made at the King David Hotel located at 23 
King David Street, Jerusalem, Israel 94101; Tel: 
972-2-620-8888, Fax: 972-2-620-8882, for May 26-27.  The 
nightly rate is $275, including breakfast, tax and Executive 
Lounge privileges. 
 
¶2.  All USG visitors to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank are 
responsible for reading this message thoroughly and complying 
with its instructions, and are required to comply with U.S. 
policy contained in Department of State cable 342724 (100514Z 
OCT 90).  This classified cable is available for review 
through the office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, 
Department of State (NEA/IPA, Room 6247, 202-647-3672).  All 
official visitors to Israel with secret clearances or higher 
should Qview 12 FAM 262.3 prior to arrival.  Copies of this 
FAM are available in the Regional Security Offices in Tel 
Aviv and Jerusalem.  Since the opening of a new airport 
terminal in November 2004, Israeli security procedures have 
been significantly strengthened and formalized.  All official 
visitors, regardless of rank or means of transportation into 
and out of Israel, should expect to be questioned with 
respect to their luggage, purchases, and possibly with 
respect to their activities during their stay in Israel. 
 
¶3.  Threat assessment: The threat of terrorism and violence 
in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is high.  There is no 
information indicating that this particular visit is 
threatened or targeted.  Government employees should assume 
that they are subjected to technical and physical 
surveillance.  Visitors should be scrupulous in securing 
classified and sensitive information in the Embassy or 
Consulate General and assume that any materials left in hotel 
rooms or public or semi-private places may be compromised. 
 
¶4.  Travel Policy: In light of the current security 
situation, the following measures are in effect for all U.S. 
Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem personnel, 
as well as all USG official visitors.  On the advice of the 
Regional Security Officer, exceptions to this policy may be 
granted on a case-by-case basis upon approval of the 
Ambassador in Tel Aviv or the Consul General in Jerusalem, 
respectively. 
 
     A) Throughout Israel, travelers are strongly urged to 
avoid areas of public gathering or assembly, such as cafes, 
malls, restaurants, and movie theaters, esQially during 
peak hours of business.  Discos and nightclubs are 
off-limits. 
 
     B) The use of public buses and trains, and their 
respective terminals/stations, is prohibited. 
 
     C) Travelers must exercise caution when out in public 
and should report suspicious activity to the police and RSO 
immediately. 
 
      D) Official travel into the West Bank is authorized on 
a case-by-case basis when determined by the Consul General to 
be mission-critical.  For limited, personal travel, U.S. 
government personnel and family members are permitted to 
travel through the West Bank, using only Routes 1 and 90, to 
reach the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge or the Dead Sea coast 
near Ein Gedi and Masada.  Each such transit requires prior 
notification to the Consulate General,s security office and 
must occur during daylight hours.  U.S. Government personnel 
and family members are permitted personal travel on Route 443 
between Modi,in and Jerusalem during the daylight hours 
only. 
 
      E) Official and personal travel to the Gaza Strip, 
including to Palestinian-controlled portions of 
entry/crossing points into the Gaza Strip, remains 
prohibited.  Under policy guidance issued by the Secretary of 
State, the Consul General may grant rare exceptions to this 
prohibition only for official, mission-critical travel by the 
named special envoys of the President. 
 
 
     F) Jerusalem,s Old City is off-limits during the hours 
of darkness, and on Fridays between the hours of 1100-1400 
hrs. 
 
     G) Travelers to Jerusalem are urged to remain vigilant, 
especially while in the commercial and downtown areas of West 
Jerusalem and the city center.  Israeli security services 
report that they continue to receive information of planned 
terrorist attacks in and around Jerusalem. 
 
     H) Also in Jerusalem, the Tayelit or Haas Promenade 
(vehicle overlook) located in Armon Hanatziv and bordering 
the Palestinian Village of Abu-Tor is open for USG personnel 
during daylight hours only.  Both the area below the 
Promenade and the village of Abu-Tor remain off-limits.  In 
addition, due to reported increases in criminal activity, 
employees should avoid the outlying villages surrounding East 
Jerusalem. 
 
     I) Northern Israel/Golan Heights: While there is a 
cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the 
situation remains tense and a possible resumption of sporadic 
violence cannot be ruled out.  Visitors to the Golan Heights 
should be warned that due to unmarked or poorly marked 
minefields, they should walk only on established roads or 
trails and pay close attention to warning signs and notices 
in the area. 
 
     J) Country clearance for official travel to post will be 
reviewed on an individual and mission-critical basis.  All 
TDY visitors at post for more than one week are required to 
attend the security newcomer briefing presented by the 
Regional Security Office (RSO).  Sponsoring offices will 
incorporate this briefing into visit schedules as required. 
Official visitors here less than one are strongly encouraged 
to contact the RSO for the most recent security related 
information. 
 
¶5.  It has been longstanding USG policy for Administration 
officials not to travel to territories captured by Israel in 
the 1967 War (the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East 
Jerusalem) escorted by Government of Israel officials, either 
civilian or military.  Overflights of these areas have been 
permitted in certain circumstances.  Security situation 
permitting, Administration officials may travel to the West 
Bank or Gaza in the company of Consulate General or Embassy 
personnel as appropriate.  As noted above, however, due to 
the October 2003 attack on Embassy personnel in Gaza, all 
travel to Gaza has been suspended for the foreseeable future. 
 The Embassy recommends that Congressional and Staff 
delegations follow these USG guidelines when visiting Israel. 
 
 
¶6.  Embassy support costs: Visitors or their agencies/bureaus 
must provide fund cites to cover requested commercial 
services such as equipment, supplies, and transportation, as 
well as required Embassy/Consulate General overtime.  In 
order to maintain their traditionally high standards of 
visitor support, Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General 
Jerusalem generally require an appropriate fund cite to cover 
per diem costs of control officers and motorpool personnel 
when assigned to visits.  If security personnel are required, 
the fund cite must cover their expenses as well.  The 
Embassy/Consulate General will provide estimated costs upon 
request. 
 
¶7.  Computer Access:  TDY visitors requiring computer network 
access should so inform their control officers at least five 
days in advance of their arrival in Israel and Jerusalem. 
 
-- SBU systems: Visitors who enjoy access to their home post 
SBU computer system via Outlook Web Access, and who have 
requested SBU computer access through their visit officer, 
will receive logons upon arrival allowing them to access that 
system from terminals at the Embassy and Consulate General, 
respectively.  Visitors who are unsure whether their home 
post supports Outlook Web Access should contact their local 
systems administrator before commencing travel.  Visitors who 
do not have access to their home post SBU systems via Outlook 
Web Access must provide the Embassy and Consulate General 
with the fully qualified domain name and the IP address of 
their home e-mail server.  That information is necessary for 
Embassy and Consulate General personnel to configure the 
visitor,s access to his or her home post SBU account, and is 
available from the visitor,s home post SBU systems manager. 
 
-- Classified systems: Visitors requesting access to 
classified computer systems must provide front-channel 
confirmation that they possess at least a &secret8 
 
clearance.  No access to home post classified e-mail accounts 
is possible from either the Embassy or Consulate General. 
Accordingly, Embassy and Consulate General information system 
personnel will be able to provide only new, separate 
classified e-mail accounts accessible only at their 
respective posts. 
 
¶8.  Visas: Israel requires visas for holders of diplomatic 
and official passports.  All personnel visiting Israel on 
official business must obtain visas from the nearest Israeli 
Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in Israel.  Visitors 
traveling on tourist passports do not need to obtain a visa 
in advance. 
 
JONES 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
JONES