US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV6505

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2009 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, COUNTERTERRORISM, GOI EXTERNAL, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: "THE BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS" 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Norm Olsen for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser told 
CODEL Talent December 6 that the war on terrorism must be 
waged across no less than five fronts: the physical battle; 
the efforts of society itself to endure in the face of 
continued attacks; society's need to remain true to its 
values rather than resorting to unsavory tactics in order to 
win; maintaining legitimacy of your country's actions in your 
own eyes, in those of the population, and among the 
international community; and finally to "maintain the 
legitimacy of the narrative," something the United States did 
not initially do well in Iraq.  Calling it a battle for the 
hearts and minds of the Muslim world, Kuperwasser said that 
it is more important to win over the five million potential 
al-Qaeda supporters than it is to try and convert the 15,000 
actual ones.  Kuperwasser welcomed Palestinian elections, 
saying that the multiple candidates, in particular Marwan 
Barghouti, would provide the Palestinians with a clear choice 
-- moving forward to reform with Abu Mazen, or stagnating 
further by supporting the Intifada with Barghouti.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser, chief of the 
Research Division at IDF Military Intelligence, met with 
Senator James Talent, Military Legislative Assistant Lindsey 
Neas, Legislative Fellow Lore Aguayo, and Navy Senate Liaison 
Deputy Director CAPT. James Stein (USN) on December 6.  A/Air 
Attache and Poloff (notetaker) accompanied. 
 
---------------------- 
Politics Over Religion 
---------------------- 
 
3.  (C) BG Yossi Kuperwasser, chief of the Research Division, 
IDF Military Intelligence, told CODEL Talent December 6 that 
terrorism emanating from Palestinian extremists is not so 
much a matter of religion as it is one of maintaining Arab 
pride.  Palestinian youth are taught that no sacrifice is too 
great, even to the point of giving one's life as a suicide 
bomber.  In response to the Senator's question, Kuperwasser 
agreed that religion plays a role as a tool, but maintained 
his point, using the latest suicide bombing (at the Carmel 
Market in Tel Aviv in November 2004) as an example: the PFLP, 
which claimed responsibility for the attack, are a Marxist 
organization, he said, not a religious one.  Groups such as 
these offer the would-be bombers the chance to be a heroes, 
Kuperwasser said, something that appeals to "certain weak 
people." 
 
------------------------------------- 
"It is a Battle for Hearts and Minds" 
------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) The most limiting factor in carrying out a suicide 
attack is not recruiting the bomber, according to 
Kuperwasser, but manufacturing the explosive device.  Warming 
to his subject, Kuperwasser said the problem is not to 
convince, for example, the 15,000 al-Qaeda militants to 
become pro-American, but rather to convince their five 
million possible supporters to choose not to support 
al-Qaeda.  The Senator agreed, saying it is essential to 
address the underlying causes of terrorism in order to fight 
it effectively.  The battle is one "for hearts and minds," 
Kuperwasser said. 
 
5.  (C) Kuperwasser called the ongoing war against terror one 
of words and concepts, adding that the Arab world does not 
acknowledge terrorism as such, in particular on media outlets 
such al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya.  Regimes, Kuperwasser said, 
are not really relevant when it is media that is inside a 
person's home and shaping that individual's view of the 
world.  Palestinian presidential elections are extremely 
important, Kuperwasser said, as they have great legitimacy on 
the Palestinian street and will thus be an important step 
forward in conferring more legitimacy on the new crop of 
Palestinian leaders.  Kuperwasser contrasted this legitimacy 
with what he described as "much less" legitimacy among Iraqis 
for January elections in that country. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Barghouti's Candidacy is a Good Thing 
------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) Kuperwasser professed to be unhappy that the 
Palestinians could not, as a society, move ahead with 
elections until after Arafat had left the scene from natural 
causes.  That being said, the elections themselves are the 
most important thing, and the GOI fully intends to provide 
the Palestinians with "everything they had in 1996," to 
assist in successfully holding them -- including resolution 
of the Jerusalem voter issue -- to leave no excuse to blame 
Israel or subsequent failures of Palestinian governance.  The 
election of convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti over 
moderate pragmatist Abu Mazen would leave no doubt in 
anyone's mind as to the direction in which Palestinian 
society was headed, Kuperwasser said. (Note: Barghouti 
subsequently withdrew form the race.  End Note). 
---------------- 
A Five-Front War 
---------------- 
 
7.  (C) Kuperwasser said that the U.S. is already fighting 
the physical war against terrorism, and has shown the 
seriousness of its intent by actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 Kuperwasser said that there are four other fronts on which a 
country needs to fight if it intends to win.  For example, 
the IDF has killed several thousand terrorists in the West 
Bank and yet there are always some 200-300 terrorists active 
at any one time.  Thus society's endurance in light of these 
unrelenting attacks is the second essential factor, 
Kuperwasser said.  Senator Talent agreed, saying that the 
Israeli public must believe that Israel is winning the war 
against terrorism and the Palestinians must come to believe 
that their tactics are ineffective.  The goal is to change 
the Palestinians' expectations, Kuperwasser said, and the 
exchange of letters between PM Sharon and President Bush 
helped to achieve a fundamental alteration in the 
Palestinians' mindset. 
 
8.  (C) The third essential element or "front," according to 
Kuperwasser, is the extent to which a society remains loyal 
to its values.  Step away from those, Kuperwasser warned, and 
popular support and legitimacy will be lost.  The IDF's 
cooperation with Shin Bet, for example, is about trying to 
"conventionalize" this war, in the hopes of preventing 
civilian casualties when possible.  The IDF uses Shin Bet 
intelligence in order make pinpoint strikes against, for 
example, Qassam rocket launchers.  All of Israel's national 
defense assets, Kuperwasser said, are available to the 
brigade-level commander, at last providing him with real-time 
ability to respond to threats while limiting civilian 
casualties.  Kuperwasser contrasted these efforts with the 
recent killing of a 13-year-old girl in Rafah by IDF 
soldiers, the tragedy of which, he said, is compounded by the 
fact that the commander of the unit involved is accused of 
firing excessive shots into the girl's body.  (NOTE: 
Currently under investigation.  End Note). "We deviated from 
our values," Kuperwasser said, calling the affair "more 
damaging (to Israel) than a suicide bomber." 
 
9.  (C) Kuperwasser said that the fourth front to maintain is 
the legitimacy of your actions, in your own eyes and the eyes 
of the international community, and the legitimacy of your 
leadership.  Calling President Bush's re-election the 
"legitimization of the (policies of the) past four years," 
Kuperwasser said that a leader's stature is exceptionally 
important in the Middle East context.  Finally, Kuperwasser 
listed what he called the "legitimacy of the narrative," as 
the fifth and final front upon which the comprehensive war 
against terrorism must be waged.  The United States, in 
Kuperwasser's view, did not have such a narrative in the 
run-up to the Iraq war, instead shifting several times its 
main rationale for overthrowing Saddam Hussein.  Kuperwasser 
agreed with Senator Talent's assessment that action in Iraq 
had been to demonstrate that American values are available to 
the entire world and not just the West, but Kuperwasser 
maintained that too much time was spent trying find other 
justifications for the invasion, such as the search for WMD. 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
"Our Experience Might Not Work For You" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
10.  (C) On GOI counter-terrorism efforts, Kuperwasser said 
that his department and the IDF overall have "great 
relations" with their U.S. counterparts, sharing both methods 
and experience in the fight against terrorism.  Kuperwasser 
stressed, however, that the culture among U.S. intelligence 
agencies is vastly different from that in Israel, where 
Kuperwasser said that military intelligence and Shin Bet are 
"hand in glove," despite disagreements and different overall 
strategic missions.  Shin Bet is tasked directly with 
fighting terror; military intelligence also fights terror, 
but looks at the wider regional threat, and develops the 
National Intelligence Assessment. 
11.  (U) CODEL Talent cleared this cable. 
 
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