VZCZCXRO3257
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #2380 3021003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291003Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4025
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002380 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER, FRELICH; EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT FOR ANN RYAN; 
FFICE OF THE COUNSELOR FOR MARISA PLOWDEN; IO FOR OBERT HAGEN AND 
JOHN TUMINARO; USAID FOR EGAT; RME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAGR EID IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL SUPPORTIVE OF FOOD SECURIY PROPOSAL; SEEKS FURTHER 
COOPERATION WITH USAIDIN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
 
REF: STATE 107298 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  Israel plans to support the joint USG-U proposal on 
food security at the FAO Summit Nov. 16-18 in Rome.  While 
delivering the reftel demarche, Econoff also solicited GoI's 
thinking on cooperative efforts with USAID in third countries.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  Econoff delivered reftel's letter and proposal on partnering for 
Food Security to Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs via Deputy 
Director General for Economic Affairs, Irit Ben Abba on October 20. 
To gain Israel's substantive response to the proposal, Econoff met 
with Ilan Fluss, Director for Policy Planning and External Relations 
and Beth-Eden Kite, Director of Training at MASHAV, Israel's Agency 
for International Development Cooperation on October 26.  MASHAV is 
part of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Fluss stated that 
Israel will fully support the proposal of Secretary Clinton and UN 
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the World Food Security Summit at 
the FAO next month.  Ambassador Hiam Divon, Deputy Director General 
for International Cooperation, is expected to head the Israeli 
delegation to the FAO Summit in November. 
 
¶3.  Fluss noted MASHAV's experience in supporting agricultural 
development and sustainable food production in developing counties 
in Africa, Asia and Central Europe.  Regarding the proposal and 
talking points on USG interests, he was particularly glad to hear of 
the U.S. recognition of climate change and water usage as factors in 
addressing global agricultural needs.  He also emphasized MASHAV's 
support of a USG action plan focused on women, who make up the 
majority of small-holder rural farmers. 
 
¶4.  As Deputy FM Ayalon mentioned in recent meetings with USG 
officials, Fluss also encouraged greater collaboration with USAID in 
developing countries.  MASHAVA is a small, flexible organization 
with more limited scope than USAID, Fluss stated, and therefore 
wants to place new emphasis on partnerships that can yield greater 
reach for the agency.  With core focus areas of education, public 
health, agriculture, water conservation and urban safety (the later 
primarily in Latin America), MASHAV uses Israel's technological 
expertise and human resources in these areas to build capacity and 
know-how in the developing world.  Kite and Fluss described MASAHV's 
fruitful history of cooperation with USAID as project-specific and 
largely dependent upon the individual relationships established with 
USAID officers in countries where Israeli involvement in development 
work is desired.  They specifically noted current projects involving 
water technology and climate change in Ethiopia. 
 
¶5.  Fluss said that MASHAV and the GoI see a political green light 
for broader cooperation with USAID and now seek a dialogue regarding 
the practical steps to be taken to that end.  Noting some of the 
agency's focus countries (India, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and 
Kosovo), Kite and Fluss requested feedback as to where the greatest 
prospects for cooperation lie and suggested that MASHAV will 
consider all USAID suggestions.  They also expressed a desire to 
pursue cooperation with USAID in the Middle East, where most of 
their recent work has been done through local NGOs and other 
international partners, primarily to benefit Palestinians and 
Jordanians.  Finally, they stressed that MASHAV would be coming to 
the table as a donor in these endeavors, not simply a source of 
technical expertise. 
 
CUNNINGHAM