US embassy cable - 04AMMAN1604

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001604 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM FRONT OFFICES; GENEVA FOR RMA; CPA 
BAGHDAD FOR MODM/J. JOHNSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2014 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, IZ, JO, UNRWA, UNHCR 
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPEATS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESETTLING 
IRAQI-PALESTINIANS 
 
REF: AMMAN 1334 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Gnehm per 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary and Action Request:  In a February 26 meeting 
with refcoord, UNHCR Middle East Director Radhouane Nouicer 
repeated previous requests (ref) for assistance in finding 
durable solutions for 348 Iraqi-Palestinians in Ruweished, 
Jordan.  While UNHCR policy remains focused on finding 
regional solutions (a "return" to the West Bank and Gaza, 
return to Iraq or resettlement in the region), Nouicer said 
prospects for a regional solution are becoming slim and UNHCR 
must consider resettlement outside the region.  In a separate 
discussion, Israeli DCM Danny Nevo confirmed that the GOI 
refused to allow the "return" of Iraqi-Palestinians to the 
West Bank and Gaza but might be willing to consider small 
numbers of "family reunification" cases if the Palestinian 
Authority provided appropriate assurances.  UNRWA Deputy 
ComGen Karen AbuZayd expressed surprise that UNHCR was 
pursuing return or resettlement options, telling refcoord the 
two refugee agencies had agreed only to make a joint approach 
to the GOJ, asking that the Iraqi-Palestinians be allowed to 
reside indefinitely in Jordan.  UNHCR's proposals for this 
group would require a change in U.S. policy toward 
Palestinian refugees, which has left questions of return or 
resettlement for final status talks.  We reminded Nouicer of 
long-standing U.S. policy and informed him that any response 
must come from Washington.  We request that the Department 
provide guidance on UNHCR's proposals to "return" or resettle 
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region.  End summary and 
action request. 
 
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UNHCR:  Regional Solution Unlikely, 
Need to Consider "Return" or Resettlement 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) In a February 26 meeting with refcoord, UNHCR Middle 
East Director Radhouane Nouicer requested U.S. assistance in 
finding solutions for the 348 Iraqi-Palestinians who fled to 
Jordan last year and remain in UNHCR's Ruweished refugee 
camp.  Nouicer, who was in Amman for UNHCR-UNRWA 
consultations on Iraqi-Palestinians, visited UNHCR camps at 
Ruweished and the Iraqi-Jordanian border on February 25. 
While UNHCR policy is to find durable solutions for 
Iraqi-Palestinians in the region, Nouicer believes the 
possibilities for a regional solution are becoming 
increasingly slim.  UNHCR's first preference (and reportedly 
that of the Iraqi-Palestinians themselves) is to "return" the 
Iraqi-Palestinians to the West Bank or Gaza under UN 
Resolution 194.  UNHCR has made repeated requests for Israeli 
assistance in facilitating this return but Nouicer admitted 
these efforts were unlikely to be successful.  Israel, he 
acknowledged, would be unlikely to agree to any movement of 
Palestinians under UN Resolution 194 but UNHCR had "no 
choice" but to couch its request in terms of the resolution. 
Nouicer and UNHCR Jordan Representative Sten Bronee asked 
again for U.S. assistance in arranging discussions between 
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authorities to find 
solutions for this group. 
 
3.  (C) Absent a "return" to the West Bank or Gaza, the only 
regional solutions for these Iraqi-Palestinians would be a) a 
return to Iraq, their country of first asylum; b) 
resettlement in Jordan; or c) resettlement in another Arab 
country.  Under current circumstances, Nouicer said, UNHCR 
could not advocate a return to Iraq for this group of 
refugees.  Neither UNHCR nor CPA believes the time is right 
for assisted returns and UNHCR could not expect 
Iraqi-Palestinians to return without a "significant" 
reintegration package.  The Iraqi-Palestinians who fled to 
Jordan lost their homes and jobs and were still in danger 
from what Nouicer termed growing anti-Palestinian sentiment 
in Iraq.  Moreover, UNHCR was not in a position to assist any 
group of returnees in Iraq. 
 
4.  (C) While return to Iraq remains impossible, Nouicer 
continued, the GOJ is growing increasingly anxious for a 
solution for this new caseload.  Minister of Interior 
Habashneh told UNHCR on February 25 that the GOJ would not 
allow these remaining Iraqi-Palestinians to become permanent 
residents of Jordan.  The GOJ had done its part by admitting 
the 386 Iraqi-Palestinians with family ties to Jordan and 
could not be expected to absorb still more Palestinian 
refugees.  (With 1.7 million UNRWA-registered Palestinian 
refugees, Jordan is host to the largest refugee population in 
the region.)  And with instability continuing in Iraq, the 
GOJ could not risk the "pull factor" that would inevitably 
result if it allowed Iraqi-Palestinians to seek permanent 
refuge in Jordan.  Nouicer said UNHCR would again approach 
Arab states (Saudi Arabia, the UAE and "a poor state" as 
well) to request that they grant permanent residency to the 
Iraqi-Palestinians.  Nouicer was doubtful that any Arab 
states would consider Palestinians for resettlement. 
 
5.  (C) Absent any viable regional solutions, Nouicer said 
UNHCR was forced to consider resettlement for the 
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region.  Admitting that 
resettlement of large numbers of Palestinians from an UNRWA 
area of operation (Jordan) would constitute a departure from 
long-standing Palestinian refugee policy, Nouicer believes 
the humanitarian considerations outweigh the likely negative 
political reaction to such a change.  Nouicer also argued 
that that UNHCR could, in fact, resettle Palestinian refugees 
from an UNRWA area of operation as long as those refugees 
were neither registered with UNRWA nor receiving assistance 
or protection from that agency.  The Iraqi-Palestinians in 
Ruweished fit that category, but only because UNRWA has not 
made any effort to register that group.  Nouicer said UNRWA 
expressed concerns that the Iraqi-Palestinians would not have 
the documentation necessary to prove their UNRWA eligibility 
and that the agency physically would not be able to conduct 
registration exercises outside its established offices. 
 
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UNRWA Not Ready to Consider Resettlement 
---------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) In a February 26 telcon, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner 
General Karen AbuZayd expressed surprise that UNHCR had again 
raised resettlement as an option for the Iraqi-Palestinians 
in Ruweished.  AbuZayd said UNRWA and UNHCR had agreed only 
that they should make a joint approach to the GOJ, requesting 
that it grant temporary protection to the Iraqi-Palestinians 
and allow them to reside indefinitely in Jordan, outside the 
confines of the Ruweished refugee camp.  While UNRWA listened 
to UNHCR's arguments in favor of resettlement, it warned 
UNHCR of the likely negative reaction to such a major change 
in Palestinian refugee policy.  On the very limited occasions 
when individual Palestinians had approached UNHCR with 
resettlement requests, AbuZayd said, UNRWA policy was neither 
to interfere with nor encourage such requests.  She added 
that from a practical point of view, resettlement of 
Iraqi-Palestinians from Jordan could prove to be a much 
greater pull factor than mere admission of Iraqi-Palestinians 
as residents of Jordan. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Israeli Position:  No to "Return" 
--------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) In a separate February 26 meeting, Israeli DCM Danny 
Nevo told refcoord that the GOI had refused UNHCR's request 
to resettle the 348 Iraqi-Palestinians from Ruweished refugee 
camp to the West Bank or Gaza.  According to Nevo, UNHCR 
committed a fatal error by framing its initial request for 
Israeli assistance in terms of the Palestinians' right of 
return under UN resolution 194.  "We will never consider such 
a request," Nevo said.  Pressed by refcoord to identify any 
circumstances under which Israel might allow 
Iraqi-Palestinians to enter the West Bank and Gaza, Nevo said 
Israel might be willing to consider very limited numbers of 
"family reunification" cases, if UNHCR could demonstrate 
close family links to the West Bank or Gaza, the Palestinian 
family members were able to prove that their 
Iraqi-Palestinian relatives could be fully supported by their 
extended families and the Palestinian Authority formally 
requested Israeli assistance in resolving this matter.  Nevo 
was doubtful that all three terms could be met, noting that 
most Iraqi-Palestinians came from Haifa and, perhaps more 
importantly, the Palestinian Authority has been conspicuously 
silent on this issue.  In addition, the fact that UNHCR had 
publicized its request for "return" under UN Resolution 194 
(distributed to resettlement countries and the press as part 
of an aide memoire on this issue) did not make it likely the 
GOI would be willing to consider a family reunification 
request. 
 
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Action Request 
-------------- 
 
8.  (C) Nouicer agrees that a comprehensive solution for this 
group is unlikely.  Instead, he proposes to "chip away" at 
the problem, pushing for "return" to the West Bank and Gaza 
for limited numbers, return to Iraq for others, resettlement 
in the region for still more and, if the U.S. agrees, 
resettlement outside the region for the remainder.  Refcoord 
cautioned that movement of anything other than limited 
numbers of Palestinian refugees with exceptional 
vulnerabilities would constitute a major change in 
Palestinian refugee policy, adding that the U.S. embassy 
could not make such decisions on its own.  She promised to 
pass along UNHCR's proposals to Washington.  As reported 
previously, we believe that resettlement of any Palestinian 
refugees would have negative political repercussions 
throughout the region.  We ask that the Department provide 
guidance on UNHCR's proposals to "return" or resettle 
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region. 
 
9.  (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
GNEHM