VZCZCXRO2138
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #2364/01 3001117
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271117Z OCT 09 ZDS ZUI RUEHCB 4933 3010248
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3993

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 002364 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (TAGS) 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IPA AND SEMEP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KWBG IS
SUBJECT: COGAT REVIEWS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WITH 
VISITING IPA DIRECTOR 
 
TEL AVIV 00002364  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U)  SUMMARY. In response to an October 21 comment made 
during the JPMG that Israel should expand access to Gaza, 
Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories 
(COGAT) Amos Gilad asked that visiting NEA/IPA Director 
Thomas Goldberger meet with COGAT Head of Foreign Relations 
Lt. Col. Uri Singer on October 22 to review COGAT procedures 
and policies regarding the entry of goods into Gaza. Singer 
outlined approval procedures, highlighted GOI priorities, and 
discussed the status of World Bank projects and OQR and Serry 
Initiative requests. END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------- 
Approval Procedures Outlined 
--------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Singer reviewed COGAT's procedures for Gaza entry of 
commercial goods as well as humanitarian supplies.  He 
clarified the distinction--which has caused grave 
misunderstandings in the past--between high-level "agreement 
in principle" to go forward with a project, and the final 
approval and coordination for entry of specific materials or 
humanitarian supplies after dual-use issues have been 
resolved.  Asked what constituted humanitarian supplies, 
Singer responded that Israel works according to the Paris 
Protocol and allows in supplies that benefit the civilian 
population, but not Hamas, which the GOI considers a hostile 
entity.  Specifying further, Singer said that, provided 
non-dual-use requirements are met, Israel approves basic 
foodstuffs, supplies to support the health system, supplies 
for children (including a bounce castle for UNRWA,s summer 
program), and supplies to maintain water, sewage, the 
electrical grid and the environment.  Under the current 
policy, because of the potential for benefit to Hamas, 
construction supplies for shelter are problematic and 
considered on a case-by-case basis. 
 
-- Commercial goods:  The private sector approaches the PA 
Economic Ministry in Ramallah with its requests.  The PA 
Economic Ministry creates and approves a list of commodities 
for the next day, and transmits this list to the Gaza 
Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip 
(Gaza CLA), which coordinates the list of truckloads for the 
specified food, fuel and commodities. Private-sector requests 
for items already approved for entry as humanitarian supplies 
are normally approved.  If requests include non-pre-approved 
dual-use items (typically, requests for such items come from 
companies that know about and utilize the pre-clearance 
process), the Gaza CLA forwards thse requests to the dual-use 
committe for approval.  NOTE: David Elmariach was named to 
the position of Gaza CLA earlier this week.  END NOTE. 
 
-- International Organizations: International organizations 
approach the Gaza CLA with their requests.  The requests are 
subject to dual-use approval.  Once this is obtained, the 
Gaza CLA coordinates the shipments. 
 
--Special procedure for USAID, World Bank etc.: COGAT has 
developed a special procedure for USAID and other known 
organizations that regularly send humanitarian supplies or 
undertake large projects and require pre-approvals before 
materials may be procured.  USAID approaches the COGAT 
Foreign Relations Branch (or, in some cases, COGAT Amos Gilad 
directly) with project proposals for pre-approval, or 
"approval in principle."  Once this general concurrence is 
obtained, a list of technical details for all required items 
must be submitted to the COGAT Foreign Relations Branch, 
which forwards the request to the dual-use committee for 
approval.  Once non-dual-use approval has been obtained, 
COGAT issues final approval and works with the Gaza CLA to 
coordinate shipments. For instance, Singer said, the GOI has 
approved greenhouses "in principle" and is now working hard 
to find ways to mitigate the danger posed by the pipes that 
are part of the greenhouse structure.  Once this dual-use 
issue is resolved, the greenhouses will get their final 
approval. 
 
------- 
Priorities: WATER, SANITATION AND ELECTRICITY 
------- 
 
¶3. (U)  Singer re-emphasized Israel's commitment to 
maintenance of the electrical grid, water supply 
infrastructure and sewage infrastructure in the Gaza strip, 
to prevent public health and environmental disaster (which 
would undoubtedly also affect Israel). Drawing on an ICRC 
powerpoint report, Singer described the maintenance and 
upgrade needs at each of the sewage treatment facilities. 
During this brief, he noted, for example, that approval had 
already been granted for a German-funded project to upgrade 
 
TEL AVIV 00002364  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
the Middle Gaza facility to increase capacity to 72,000 cubic 
meters of sewage per day (up from current 35,000 cubic meter 
treatment capacity and 51,000 cubic meter daily sewage 
production in the relevant area).  An upgrade of the Khan 
Younis facility, (designed to treat 8,000 cubic meters per 
day but now intaking 10,000 cubic meters per day) is planned, 
to bring its capacity to 12,000 cubic meters per day. 
Further, Singer reminded that the World Bank received written 
assurances that it could go forward with the North Gaza 
(NGEST) upgrade over two years ago, assurances Singer 
reiterated to the World Bank's David Craig repeatedly in the 
interim, but the project has effectively stalled.  Goldberger 
noted that the USG is trying to drum up U.S. company interest 
in a current World Bank tender to move this project forward; 
to this, Singer replied that some companies should be willing 
and able, since they already operate in more dangerous 
locations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
¶4.  (U) To mitigate ever-present concerns about potential 
theft of construction materials from the site, and for the 
protection of site workers, the World Bank has agreed to the 
following conditions for the NGEST project: 
-- daily coordination with the IDF, to prevent unintended 
activity; 
-- daily coordination for any work to be performed at night; 
-- workers must wear vests to identify themselves as 
legitimate; 
-- photographic evidence must be presented to demonstrate 
progress and to prevent dual-use applications before the 
subsequent shipment will be allowed access to Gaza. 
 
¶5. (U)  For these and other construction projects, COGAT, 
which is prohibited by GOI policy from engaging with Hamas, 
uses the ICRC Water and Habitat Service (ICRC WatHab) as an 
intermediary, since they engage directly with the Coastal 
Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), which engages with both 
the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the municipalities. 
 
--------- 
UNSCO 
--------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Asked about the projects in the Serry Plan, Singer 
said that there are several fundamental problems with the 
proposals. The projects are not clear-cut humanitarian 
efforts, and it is impossible to tell who the beneficiaries 
will be. For example, because several of the proposals are 
continuations of pre-Operation Cast Lead projects, they are 
technically "development" not "reconstruction" and so run 
counter to current GOI policy. Further, UNSCO refuses to work 
under the conditions which the World Bank has accepted 
(outlined above), raising additional concerns about dual-use 
potential.  Singer said that COGAT had been encouraging UNSCO 
to consider upgrading the Khan Younis sewage treatment plant 
or to undertake hospital upgrades instead of the proposed 
sports facilities and (UNDP) housing development projects, 
but so far had not received a positive response. 
 
----- 
Other issues 
----- 
 
¶7. (U) Asked about the OQR list, Singer told Goldberger that 
the top five projects on the list had been approved 
previously, but so far coordination to bring items into Gaza 
had not been requested. 
 
¶8. (U) UNWRA's armored vehicles, which arrived at Ben Gurion 
without prior coordination or permits about half a year ago, 
are scheduled to enter Gaza before the end of October. 
Because there was no prior coordination, Singer said it is 
highly unlikely that the GOI would reimburse UNRWA for 
demurrage costs incurred in the interim. 
 
¶9. (U)  Singer clarified that the PA Ministry of Health--not 
the GOI--had prevented shipment of baby formula to Gaza, 
because the product had exceeded its expiration date.  Singer 
told ECON later in the day that 150 truckloads of baby 
formula had entered Gaza since Operation Cast Lead. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Goldberger also asked if COGAT and the GOI had done 
any thinking about "the day after" Gilad Shalit was released, 
and the steps they would take to improve access.  Singer 
emphasized that it was a political issue, but said that COGAT 
and MFA had already started the technical planning.  NOTE: 
The MFA has engaged KPMG to help develop end-use assurance 
procedures, and has also been briefed repeatedly by USAID on 
its procedures.  END NOTE.  Singer noted that the World Bank 
procedures, and the procedures they will develop for the 
 
TEL AVIV 00002364  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Serry plan, will serve as the model once development can 
begin. 
 
¶11. (U)  Asked later in the day on October 22 about press 
reports asserting a "new policy" to allow coffee and tea into 
Gaza, Singer clarified to ECON that this was simply a 
reaffirmation of a prior approval, not a change in policy. 
He added that as of October 21, fresh pomegranates would be 
allowed into Gaza in season. 
 
CUNNINGHAM