VZCZCXRO4548
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0344 0471432
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161432Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5473
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000344 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020 
TAGS: PREL MOPS KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF PLANS HARSHER METHODS WITH WEST BANK 
DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis G. Moreno for reasons 1.4 ( 
b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) In meetings with U.S. officials on February 4, OC 
Central Command MG Avi Mizrachi expressed frustration with 
on-going demonstrations in the West Bank, which he believes 
are being orchestrated to increase tensions.  Mizrachi, whose 
area of responsibility includes all of the West Bank and 
Central Israel, warned that the IDF will start to be more 
assertive in how it deals with these demonstrations, even 
demonstrations that appear peaceful. 
 
¶2.  (C) After visiting two of these "so-called peaceful 
demonstrations," Mizrachi said he did not know what they were 
about; the villages were not near the barrier and they had no 
problems with movement or settlers.  Mizrachi asserted that 
the Palestinian villagers also do not know the reason for the 
demonstrations and said that they were only demonstrating 
because they were told to do so. 
 
¶3.  (C) Mizrachi warned that he will start sending his trucks 
with "dirty water" to break up these protests, even if they 
are not violent, because they serve no purpose other than 
creating friction. (NOTE: dirty water is a reference to the 
IDF's chemically treated water that duplicates the effects of 
skunk spray.  End note.)  Mizrachi said he heard rumors that 
Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad was planning to attend one of 
these protests, adding that if Fayyad gets sprayed with dirty 
water, it will make everyone look bad. 
 
¶4.  (C) On orders from Mizrachi, West Bank commander BG 
Nitzan Alon and West Bank civil administrator BG Poli 
Mordechi reportedly met with the Palestinian security force 
commanders recently to deliver a strong message that they 
must stop these demonstrations or the IDF will.  Mizrachi 
asserted that he would prefer not to break up these 
demonstrations, but will if he must.  Many of the 
demonstrations are organized by "suspicious people," Mizrachi 
said, and he plans on arresting organizers of demonstrations 
that "serve no purpose" beyond exciting the population. 
 
¶5.  (C) COMMENT: Less violent demonstrations are likely to 
stymie the IDF.  As MOD Pol-Mil chief Amos Gilad told USG 
interlocutors recently, "we don't do Gandhi very well."  The 
IDF impatience with these demonstrations may also be 
connected to the recent arrests of foreign NGO workers with 
expired or solely tourist visas who have been attending, and 
often organizing, the protests.  The GoI reportedly ceased 
issuing B1 work visas to the foreign staff of NGOs working in 
the occupied territories; for several months now it has 
restricted them and their families to B2 visitor visas with 
varying durations and sometmies limited to single-entry.  On 
February 10, officials from the MOI immigration enforcement 
unit (the "Oz" unit) told PolOff that they made the arrests 
of NGO workers in the West Bank at the request of the IDF. 
However, the court ruled that the Oz unit cannot operate 
beyond the Green Line, and subsequently released the 
detainees, who were mostly European.  The Oz unit officials 
told PolOff that they will not challenge that ruling and have 
no further operations planned in the West Bank. END COMMENT. 
Cunningham