US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV75

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000075 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KWBG, IS, GOI EXTERNAL 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN CONSUL SAYS JORDAN WANTS PRISONERS IN 
EXCHANGE FOR RETURNING AMBASSADOR TO TEL AVIV 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
. 
 
1.  (C) Jordanian Consul Mohammed Abu-Wandi told political 
counselor January 5 that ongoing discussions with FM Shalom 
over both Shalom's desire to visit Amman and the return of a 
Jordanian ambassador to Tel Aviv focus on Israel's release of 
some 13 Jordanian "security" prisoners.  Abu-Wandi said his 
mission has been discussing the issue at several levels with 
the Israeli government and with other unspecified "friends" 
in the hope of convincing the GOI that the prisoner issue is 
of paramount importance. 
 
2.  (C) Abu-Wandi said that King Abdallah truly recognizes 
that full diplomatic relations with Israel are in Jordan's 
best interest, but political realities require that he secure 
the release of the prisoners as part of the deal.  Asked 
whether a prisoner release would be enough of a gesture, by 
itself, to allow the king to return the ambassador, Abu-Wandi 
said yes.  Asked if any other issue equaled that of the 
prisoners, or could otherwise provide the cover for a return 
of the ambassador, Abu-Wandi said no.  While a few other 
bilateral issues remain unresolved, none carries the same 
importance vis-a-vis the ambassador issue.  Asked whether 
Jordan would extend an invitation for Shalom to visit absent 
a prisoner deal, Abu-Wandi said he did not know.  The 
scenario, he acknowledged, would be for Israel to indicate 
privately that it is willing to release the prisoners, for 
Jordan to then invite Shalom to visit, and for the release to 
then be made public, followed by Jordan's expeditious return 
of its ambassador. 
 
2.  (C) COMMENT: While Abu-Wandi was paying his first call on 
pol/c, it was clear that he came for the sole purpose of 
raising the prisoner issue, frequently noting that Jordan 
hopes its "friends," including the United States, will make 
clear to the GOI the need for a prisoner release. 
 
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KURTZER