US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5832

S E C R E T AMMAN 005832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: NEW ISRAELI AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
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NEW ISRAELI IN AMMAN... 
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1. (U) King Abdallah accepted the credentials of the new 
Israeli ambassador to Jordan, Yacov Hadas Handlesman, during 
a ceremony with seven other new ambassadors September 7. 
Handlesman, Israel's fourth ambassador to Jordan, assumes the 
post from Ambassador David Dadonn, who left Jordan two weeks 
ago. 
 
2. (U) As the first step of the accreditation process, 
Handlesman met with Foreign Minister Marwan Mu'asher to 
present copies of his credentials on September 4.  According 
to MFA sources and press reports, during the meeting, 
Mu'asher stressed the importance of moving the peace process 
forward through the roadmap, thus facilitating the end of 
Israel's occupation and the realization of a Palestinian 
state. 
 
3. (SBU) Handlesman was born in Tel Aviv in 1957.  He holds 
an MA in Middle Eastern studies and is fluent in Arabic.  He 
served as an adviser to the deputy foreign minister from 
1999-2001.  Handlesman headed Israel's representation office 
in Qatar from 2001 until his appointment as ambassador to 
Jordan. MFA official Ashraf Zeitoon, who participated in the 
Foreign Minister's meeting with Hadas, says the new Israeli 
ambassador seems capable, given his prior service in Qatar, 
Turkey, and the UK. 
 
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...BUT NO JORDANIAN TO TEL AVIV--FOR NOW 
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4. (S) The King told the Ambassador September 8 that the 
deterioration in the Israeli-Palestinian situation would make 
it difficult to return an Ambassador to Tel Aviv now, given 
parliamentary views.  He said he had been prepared to move 
earlier--knowing it would be harder to send an Ambassador in 
the event the political and security situation 
deteriorated--but his first candidate had refused, thus 
delaying action.  The King said that now he needed cover with 
Parliament, and hoped discussions with the Israelis on 
release of some Jordanian prisoners would bear fruit. 
Release of Jordanian prisoners would give him that cover. 
The Ambassador cautioned the King not to tie prisoner 
releases to the return of an Ambassador--even the perception 
was liable to raise ire among Israelis. 
GNEHM