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DE RUEHWR #0090/01 0401802
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R 091802Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9406
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1528

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WARSAW 000090 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IR, NEA/IPA, EUR/CE, EUR/OHI, DRL/SEAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2020 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KNNP EFIN PGOV IR IS PL
SUBJECT: POLAND/ISRAEL - PM NETANYAHU VISIT REINFORCES 
STRONG TIES, SOLIDARITY ON IRAN SANCTIONS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Feinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY:  Israeli Embassy officials were impressed 
with the strong personal chemistry between Tusk and Netanyahu 
during the latter's January 26-27 visit to Poland.  The 
Israeli PM reportedly left with a much deeper understanding 
of extensive Polish-Israeli security cooperation.  Netanyahu 
focused primarily on Iran -- part of a broader outreach 
effort to the EU and Russia.  In response, Tusk indicated 
that Poland supports targeted anti-regime sanctions to send a 
clear message of international support to the opposition. 
Netanyahu did not raise private property restitution with 
Tusk -- and only briefly mentioned it to Sikorski -- to the 
dismay of the Israeli Embassy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
STRONG PERSONAL CHEMISTRY 
 
¶2. (U) Israeli PM Netanyahu met with Polish PM Tusk and FM 
Sikorski during a January 26 visit to Warsaw.  Tusk and 
Netanyahu met in 1-plus-3 format for 30 minutes, followed by 
a larger dinner.  Sikorski and Netanyahu met separately for 
90 minutes, 30 minutes longer than scheduled.  Netanyahu 
traveled the following day to Oswiecim to speak at ceremonies 
commemorating the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the 
Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp (septel). 
 
¶3. (C/NF) In a post-visit readout, the Israeli DCM 
characterized the visit as a resounding success.  He said 
Netanyahu left with a much deeper understanding of the full 
extent of Polish-Israeli security cooperation.  Although 
Israeli Embassy officials were not surprised by the strong 
positive chemistry between Netanyahu and Sikorski -- on the 
basis of their similar personalities and political views -- 
they were impressed that Tusk and Netanyahu also "hit it 
off."  Tusk and Netanyahu agreed that the two governments 
should move forward with long-discussed plans to hold a 
Polish-Israeli Inter-Governmental Conference (PMs plus 5-6 
ministers from each side) in Israel in May or June.  FM 
Lieberman will travel to Warsaw in April to prepare the 
conference. 
 
NETANYAHU ENGAGING EUROPE ON IRAN SANCTIONS 
 
¶4. (C/NF) Netanyahu focused primarily on Iran in both 
meetings, telling Tusk and Sikorski that he was trying to 
reach out to Europe to build support for robust sanctions. 
Netanyahu said his message will be that the Iranian regime is 
much more divided than it seems, and strong targeted 
sanctions (primarily oil and gas) will have a positive 
impact.  Tusk and Sikorski told Netanyahu Poland supports 
another round of targeted UN sanctions, as well as 
independent autonomous measures.  Netanyahu told Tusk he 
delivered a similar message to German Chancellor Merkel last 
month.  Netanyahu will make the same points in Moscow this 
month and later this spring in Brussels. 
 
GOP SUPPORTS TARGETED ANTI-REGIME SANCTIONS 
 
¶5. (C/NF) Polish Deputy FM Najder also provided Ambassador 
Feinstein with a read-out.  Najder said Tusk told Netanyahu 
that Poland supports strong sanctions to prevent more severe 
Western responses (i.e., military action), which would have 
harmful consequences.  Tusk noted that Iranian civil society 
had sent a clear signal that it is capable of organizing 
against the regime.  Netanyahu replied that the West could 
help civil society organize by using technology to lift 
jamming of the Internet.  Israeli experts believe this could 
be done remotely.  Tusk stressed that sanctions should be 
imposed on financial institutions and that Israel and the EU 
should appeal to India and China (both of which export 
refined petroleum to Iran) to apply sanctions. 
 
¶6. (C/NF) According to Najder, Tusk drew a parallel with 
sanctions imposed by the West on communist regimes during the 
Cold War.  Unlike sanctions later imposed against Iraq (which 
allowed Saddam to enrich himself), sanctions against 
communist regimes had sent a strong signal that the 
international community supported the opposition.  "I think 
that that is where we are with Iran," Tusk reportedly told 
Netanyahu.  Najder clarified that Tusk was referring to 
anti-regime (vice strictly anti-nuclear) sanctions. 
 
PRIVATE PROPERTY RESTITUTION 
 
¶7. (C/NF) According to the Israeli DCM, Netanyahu did not ask 
Tusk about the status of long-promised legislation to provide 
 
WARSAW 00000090  002 OF 002 
 
 
compensation for private property confiscated by the Nazis 
and the communist government.  Netanyahu did raise the issue 
with Sikorski, who said private property restitution was best 
handled in the courts and should not be turned into a 
political issue.  Sikorski expressed "impatience with 
American Jewish lawyers," noting that his father-in-law is an 
American Jewish lawyer.  It was not clear to the Israeli 
ambassador or Netanyahu's staff whether this was meant as a 
joke.  The Israeli DCM voiced concern that Netanyahu's 
failure to raise the issue with Tusk might have sent a 
message that the issue is not important, which could prompt 
Tusk to postpone -- or shelve entirely -- draft legislation. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶8. (C/NF) Since the fall of Communism in 1989, Poland and 
Israel have forged a close strategic relationship.  In fact, 
some GOP officials boast that Poland is the most pro-Israel 
EU member state, pointing out that Poland consistently 
presses for "balance" in EU and UN fora. 
FEINSTEIN