US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV1366

S E C R E T TEL AVIV 001366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR D AND PM A/S BLOOMFIELD; OSD FOR USD(P) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2014 
TAGS: MARR, MASS, PREL, PARM, IS, CH, FR, MILITARY RELATIONS, GOI EXTERNAL 
SUBJECT: (S) ISRAELI CONCERN ABOUT POTENTIAL FRENCH ARMS 
SALES TO CHINA 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard LeBaron for Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (S) MOD DG Amos Yaron expressed concern March 3 to 
visiting Commerce U/S Kenneth Juster about signals that 
France might be ready to reverse its restrictive policy on 
arms sales to China.  In a March 4 follow-up meeting, Rami 
Yungman of the MOD pol-mil bureau told polmiloff that the 
sources of GOI concern were the tone of President Hu's recent 
state visit to France and informal signals the GOI has 
received from French officials that the GOF intends to 
reverse the arms sales policy that it has followed with China 
since Tiananmen. 
 
2. (S) Yaron plans to raise the possible change in French 
policy with USD(P) Feith and A/S Bloomfield during his March 
10-11 visit to Washington.  A change in French policy, Yaron 
suggested, could have implications for U.S. policy, 
including, he hinted, U.S. expectations about Israeli arms 
sales to China.  Yungman said Yaron would also raise the 
topic with his French MOD counterpart, Marc Perrin de 
Brichambaut, during a bilateral strategic dialogue in Paris 
immediately following the U.S. visit. 
 
3. (C) Yungman said he did not expect DefMin Mofaz to raise 
the issue either in Paris or Washington, both of which Mofaz 
will visit during the week of March 8.  Septel reports other 
issues Mofaz and Yaron plan to raise in Washington. 
 
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