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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0064
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RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0050
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 SAN JOSE 000710 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, NEA/IPA AND INR/I 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018 
TAGS: PINR PARM PREL PGOV KPAL IS XF CS
SUBJECT: (C/NF) C-NE8-00834: ISRAELI RELATIONS WITH COSTA 
RICA: BUSINESSLIKE, BUT SOME POLITICAL IRRITANTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 64659 
     ¶B. 06 SAN JOSE 1841 (ALL NOTAL) 
     ¶C. 06 SAN JOSE 2263 
     ¶D. SAN JOSE 129 
     ¶E. 07 SAN JOSE 1106 
     ¶F. SAN JOSE 629 
     ¶G. SAN JOSE 636 
 
Classified By: DCM Peter M. Brennan for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Despite some concerns and irritants voiced 
both publicly and privately to us by the Israeli Ambassador 
to Costa Rica, the overall relationship between Costa Rica 
and Israel is relatively calm and businesslike.  While not as 
dynamic as Costa Rica's commercial relationship with the 
U.S., the majority of Israeli-Costa Rican contact is 
economically-oriented.  Political relations, however, have 
suffered recently due to shifts in Costa Rican policy towards 
the Middle East, such as the recognition of Palestinian 
"statehood," the establishment of diplomatic relations with 
some Arab nations, possible Costa Rican support for Israel to 
engage in dialogue with Hamas, and the move of the Costa 
Rican Embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in August 2006. 
Most local contacts, and we agree, believe that these moves 
were partially designed to help Costa Rica win its bid for a 
seat on the UNSC 2008-2009.  Costa Rica supports a peaceful 
and two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian question. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Security cooperation or assistance between Israel 
and Costa Rica is nearly non-existent, the only concrete 
examples being normal law enforcement cooperation, such as 
extraditions, and infrequent and small-scale police training. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
=================== 
POLITICAL RELATIONS 
=================== 
 
¶3. (C) THE EXODUS FROM JERUSALEM DEFINES RELATIONS - The 
GOCR's unexpected August 2006 announcement that it would move 
its embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv (Ref B) has colored 
Israeli-Costa Rican relations throughout the Arias 
Administration.  The GOCR's official explanation was that it 
was righting itself with UNSC Resolution 478 and looking to 
increase opportunities for foreign direct investment from the 
Middle East.  In a 2002 "La Nacion" newspaper article, then 
ex-President Oscar Arias recommended moving the Costa Rican 
Embassy to Tel Aviv, calling its location in Jerusalem an 
"injustice for the Palestinians."  Addressing that 
"injustice" was one of his first foreign policy moves after 
returning to office.  The motivation, however, was shaped 
more by his administration's determination to assume a 
non-permanent seat on the UNSC, than to effect an equitable 
Israeli/Palestinian solution.  (NOTE: Costa Rica was elected 
from the GRULAC Group in October 2007 for the 2008-2009 term. 
END NOTE) 
 
¶4. (C) Arias viewed the Security Council as key to advancing 
his global objectives on conventional arms reductions, 
environmental protection and foreign assistance for 
"responsible" international actors such as Costa Rica. 
FonMin Bruno Stagno (who in 2006 had just left his post as 
the GOCR's UN Ambassador) made it clear, telling "La Nacion" 
on August 16, 2006 that "putting Costa Rica in harmony" with 
UNSC resolutions was the reason for the embassy move. 
 
¶5. (SBU) INCREASED ARAB TIES - The embassy move to Tel Aviv 
yielded diplomatic results.  Costa Rica restored relations 
with Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen (Ref C) in 2006.  Then, 
on February 5 of this year, the MFA announced that Costa Rica 
and the "State" of Palestine had agreed to establish 
diplomatic relations and would exchange ambassadors at some 
future date (Ref D).  According to Stagno, the Palestinian 
decision showed the GOCR's "gradual normalization of 
diplomatic relations with the Arab and Islamic world in 
general, as part of a foreign policy of opening borders and 
minds, which reinforces an intelligent engagement of Costa 
Rica in the World (unofficial translation)." 
 
¶6. (SBU) The MFA announcement further noted that of the 15 
nations with which Costa Rica established full diplomatic 
 
SAN JOSE 00000710  002 OF 004 
 
 
¶7. (C) ISRAELIS IRRITATED BUT NOT TENSE - As a result of GOCR 
support for the "State" of Palestine and deepening Arab ties, 
in-country Israeli diplomats have been concerned about 
relations between Israel and Costa Rica.  Ehud Eitam, 
Israel's Ambassador to Costa Rica, told us on August 20 that 
Costa Rica's relationship with Israel could be better in 
light of the Embassy move and increased Arab-Costa Rican 
ties.  However, he did not dwell on the issue and seemed to 
be more curious about what Costa Rica's next no-notice 
international move would be.  This is in some contrast to 
Eitam's initial reactions in June to Costa Rica's alleged 
call in the UN for Israeli dialogue with Hamas (see paras 
7-10 below). 
 
¶8. (U) NEW POLICIES ANGER SOME DOMESTIC POLITICAL ELITE - The 
Arias Administration's Middle Eastern policies have generated 
some criticism from the country's political elite.  In a May 
20 Op-Ed in the daily "Diario Extra," former President Luis 
Alberto Monge criticized the Middle Eastern policies of 
President Arias and his brother Rodrigo (who is also Minister 
of the Presidency) as being "neo-Nazi."  Monge, whose ex-wife 
is Jewish, has traditionally been a firm supporter of Israel 
and critical of any overt support of the Palestinians or 
perceived "anti-Israeli" actions.  In the Op-Ed, Monge 
charged that the Arias brothers' "regime," with support from 
"La Nacion," established diplomatic relations with a 
non-existent Palestinian State.  Monge compared the Arias 
Administration to those of Castro's Cuba, Chavez's Venezuela 
and Ortega's Nicaragua, who also have recognized the "State" 
of Palestine.  Monge's comments had no impact on the 
government, however. 
 
=================================== 
GOCR CALLS FOR DIALOGUE WITH HAMAS? 
=================================== 
 
¶9. (SBU) In early June, Israeli Ambassador Eitam shared his 
concerns with us regarding a June 4 MFA press release that 
denied statements by the GOCR UN Ambassador calling for 
Israeli dialogue with Hamas.  The press statement was 
prompted by remarks made in the National Assembly on June 2-3 
by legislator Jose Manuel Echandi (Independent) with 
information provided to him by the Israeli Embassy in Costa 
Rica.  Echandi criticized the GOCR's UN Ambassador Jorge 
Urbina for asking Israel to converse with Hamas during a UNSC 
session.  For text of Echandi's remarks, see: 
http://www.asemblea.go.cr/actas/2006-2010. 
 
¶10. (C) At the time, Eitam seemed deeply concerned about 
Costa Rica's overtures to Hamas.  He told us that MFA denials 
notwithstanding, Urbina had indeed made statements urging 
dialogue with Hamas and claimed that the MFA was trying to 
backtrack and cover this up.  (MFA contacts, including in the 
Minister's office, later insisted to us that Urbina's 
comments had been misconstrued by some Jewish Costa Ricans.) 
Eitam went on to allege that Stagno's Israeli National Day 
speech, as quoted in the June 4 MFA press release, was 
modified to further justify the Arias administration's 
position of recognizing the "State" of Palestine (see Ref B 
for more of Eitam's then reaction to the recognition).  Eitam 
recommended that we keep an eye on this dynamic both in San 
Jose and in the UN.  (NOTE: The MFA press statement quoted 
President Bush and Vice President Cheney on the importance of 
a two-state solution, apparently to justify the GOCR's 
position.  END NOTE) 
 
¶11. (U) In the June 4 press release (full text at 
http://www.ree.go.cr) the MFA denied that Urbina suggested 
dialogue between Israel and Hamas.  The statement expressed 
Costa Rica's hopes for peace; advocated a dialogue of peace 
between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Mahmoud 
Abbas; blamed Arab countries for frustrating the development 
of a Palestinian state; and laid out reasons for Costa Rica's 
recognition of Palestine.  The MFA called the 
 
SAN JOSE 00000710  003 OF 004 
 
 
Israeli/Palestinian conflict an asymmetrical one which 
required asymmetrical concessions, and said that it was time 
for both parties to accept that peace had a price and would 
require painful, uncomfortable sacrifices. 
 
¶12. (U) The MFA press release went on to say that the current 
leaders of the Palestinian National Authority "deserve our 
support, although we do not necessarily share all their 
views" because those leaders were the only viable alternative 
to a terrorist-controlled government.  The MFA called Costa 
Rica a "torch bearer" for Israel's right to exist in peace 
and urged an end to black-and-white thinking on the 
Israeli/Palestinian issue. 
 
================== 
ECONOMIC RELATIONS 
================== 
 
¶13. (SBU) Economic relations between Costa Rica and Israel 
are positive but relatively small.  We do not expect, for 
example, a Free Trade Agreement anytime soon.  Israel 
primarily exports high tech material to Costa Rica in the 
form of communications equipment.  Costa Rica, on the other 
hand, mainly exports coffee to Israel.  Ambassador Eitam told 
us the trade relationship was "not huge" but highlighted that 
both countries had Intel plants producing microchips, 
resulting in some bilateral cooperation. 
 
¶14. (SBU) With the prospective opening of the Costa Rican 
telecommunications field under CAFTA, Eitam said Israel was 
eager to get even further into the Tico market.  One Israeli 
firm, ECI Telecom, is already present and recently won a new 
contract from Racsa (Costa Rica's national internet service) 
to offer Costa Rican customers super-bandwidth for their 
internet connections.  ECI Telecom also has a contract, 
though somewhat delayed, to install a country-wide 
fiber-optic network for Racsa. 
 
============================================= ====== 
SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION 
============================================= ====== 
 
¶15. (C) The security relationship between Costa Rica and 
Israel is practically non-existent.  Eitam told us that 
Israel had made some arms transfers to the Ministry of Public 
Security (MPS), approximately 15-20 years ago.  (NOTE: Post 
has seen some MPS units outfitted with older Uzis and 
Galil-type rifles, but most are in poor condition.  END 
NOTE).  Eitam said that Israel had no plans to ship any 
weapons to Costa Rica and added that they are not interested 
in making security donations, including non-lethal aid, to 
the GOCR. 
 
¶16. (SBU) Israel and Costa Rica do cooperate on standard law 
enforcement issues, such as extraditions and police training. 
 Eitam said that Israel had a regional police attache in 
Bogota who visited Costa Rica occasionally.  He added that 
this attache had helped train President Arias' bodyguards in 
the past.  Eitam mentioned that Israel had provided some 
community policing courses for Costa Rica, but usually for 
not more than one to two officers per year.  He mentioned 
that he had discussed the possibility of further security and 
law enforcement cooperation with former Minister of Public 
Security Fernando Berrocal and with Vice President Laura 
Chinchilla, but they had not followed up and Eitam did not 
push it. 
 
============================= 
GOCR AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY 
============================= 
 
¶17. (SBU) The Arias Administration has a friendly 
relationship with its affluent Costa Rican Jewish community, 
mainly located in the San Jose area.  In April, we visited 
the Jewish Orthodox synagogue in San Jose and spoke with 
Salomon Aizenman, prominent restaurant franchise operator and 
President of the Jewish Zionist Center of Costa Rica. 
Aizenman told us that 2500 Orthodox and 300 Reform Jews made 
up the local Jewish community.  When asked to whom he would 
turn if the Jewish community experienced discrimination or 
needed support from the government, Aizenman said that he 
 
SAN JOSE 00000710  004 OF 004 
 
 
would call President Arias directly. 
 
¶18. (SBU) He characterized GOCR relations with the Jewish 
community as excellent and emphasized that the Jewish 
community in Costa Rica was, after all, Costa Rican.  He 
pointed to two recent examples of GOCR support.  First, after 
a worldwide Hezbollah threat against Jews at the beginning of 
the year, the Ministry of Public Security stationed Fuerza 
Publica police officers at the entrance to the synagogue for 
more than four months.  Second, when a synagogue member saw 
anti-Semitic graffiti on a road sign, the Ministry of Public 
Works and Transportation immediately authorized its removal. 
 
¶19. (U) On June 18, Channel 7 news featured the opening of 
the Costa Rican-Israeli Cultural Institute.  The opening 
ceremony paid homage to ex-President Monge, who was in 
attendance.  Speaking for the Jewish community, Aizenman 
expressed that the opening of the center would strengthen 
already close relations between the people of Costa Rica and 
Israel. 
 
Apart from the Jewish community in San Jose, a very small 
community of Israelis settled in the last few years in the 
Malpais tourist area on the Pacific Coast. 
 
======= 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
¶20. (C) Although noteworthy, especially since Costa Rica will 
remain on the UNSC until December 31, 2009, we do not see 
minor irritants in Costa Rican-Israeli relations effecting 
USG interests in the region.  We focus more closely, as the 
Israeli Ambassador mentioned, on the direction of Costa 
Rica's foreign policy and its next "surprise" international 
move (especially in regards to Cuba and Costa Rica's imminent 
membership in Petrocaribe (Ref G)).  Although there is no 
particular Costa Rican cooperation with Israel to limit the 
influence of Iran in the region, we do not detect any 
sympathy for Iran on the part of Costa Rica nor any expansion 
or opening of relations.  To the GOCR (as to most other 
governments in Central America), Iran has no natural ties to 
the region.  The Arias Administration is concerned, however, 
about Iran and non-proliferation, and is active on these 
issues in New York. 
CIANCHETTE