US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV389

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 000389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL, NEA/IPA 
JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS, AND NDDS 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
DEA FOR OILS AND OFFICE OF DIVERSION CONTROL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, KSEP, IS, ISRAELI SOCIETY, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: 2004-2005 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY 
REPORT, PART I 
 
REF: SECSTATE 249035 
 
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Part I: Summary 
--------------- 
 
1. Israel is not a significant producer or trafficking point 
for drugs.  The Israeli National Police (INP), however, 
reports that during the year 2004, the Israeli drug market 
continued to be characterized by high demand in nearly all 
sectors of society and a high availability of drugs including 
cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and LSD.  The INP also 
reports a continuing high demand for ecstasy in 2004, and a 
high level of seizure, especially compared with 2003.  There 
was a comparable amount of marijuana seized, and a slight 
decrease in the amount of hashish seized.The INP reports that 
the amount of heroin seized remains relatively low as in 
previous years, although the level of demand is unchanged. 
The quantity of LSD seized in 2004 far exceeds past years, 
with the seizure of 55,438 blotters compared to 28,331 
blotters in 2003.  Widespread use of ecstasy by Israeli 
youths is a continuing source of concern to authorities. 
There was a slight decrease from last year in the number of 
offense files for drug use, trafficking, and possession not 
for personal use.  The number of drug arrests for 2004 is not 
available.  (Note:  All data are for the period January 
through October and were obtained from the Research 
Department of the Israeli Police Headquarters, unless 
otherwise indicated.  End note.)  In June 2002, Israel 
ratified the 1988 UN Drug Convention.  Israel's domestic law 
contains the legislative requirements mandated by the 
convention. 
 
--------------------------- 
Part II: Status of Country. 
--------------------------- 
 
2.  Israel is not a major producer of narcotics or precursor 
chemicals.  Israeli narcotics traffickers operating outside 
of Israel continue to be deeply involved in the international 
ecstasy trade.  The Israeli National Police (INP) reports 
that during the year 2004, the Israeli drug market was 
characterized by a high demand in nearly all sectors of 
society and a high availability of drugs including cannabis, 
ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and LSD.  The INP estimates the 
annual scope of the Israeli market to be 100 tons of 
marijuana, 20 tons of hashish, 20 million tablets of ecstasy, 
4 tons of heroin, 3 tons of cocaine, and hundreds of 
thousands of LSD blotters.  Officials are also concerned with 
the widespread use of ecstasy and cannabis among Israeli 
youth, and say that drug use among youth mirrors trends in 
the West. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Part III: Country Action Against Drugs in 2004 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
3.   Policy initiatives.  In June 2002 Israel ratified the 
1988 UN Conventional Against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic 
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988 UN Drug Convention) 
after passing all the necessary laws to make Israeli laws 
consistent with the Convention.  In 2004, the INP continued 
its general policy of interdiction at Israel's borders and 
points of entry because the biggest quantities of drugs cross 
into Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon.  Together with 
the Israeli Anti-Drug Authority (IADA), the INP concentrated 
specifically on the Jordanian and Egyptian borders, where the 
majority of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis comes into Israel. 
The INP and the IADA have jointly developed programs to help 
Israeli youth, and have identified and begun investigating 
six or seven major families involved in drug trade in Israel. 
 
4.  Distribution.  Israel is not a significant distribution 
point for illegal drugs. 
 
5.  Sale, Transport, and Financing.  Israel is not a 
significant seller, transporter or financer of the drug trade 
but Israeli citizens abroad in locations such as Denmark, 
Holland, and Belgium serve as brokers and transporters of 
ecstasy to the U.S. and elsewhere. 
 
6.  Asset Seizure.   In 2004, authorities seized $6.6 million 
in illegal drug related assets and cash. 
 
7.  Extradition.  Four individuals were extradited from 
Israel to the U.S. on drug related charges in 2004.  Israel 
also arrested Zeev Rosenstein on November 8, 2004, and 
extradition proceedings are ongoing.  In addition, Israel has 
extradited individuals to Germany and Holland. 
 
8.  Law Enforcement and Drug-Transit Cooperation.  DEA 
officials characterize cooperation between the DEA and the 
INP as outstanding.  All DEA investigations related to Israel 
are coordinated through the DEA Nicosia Country Office. 
Through the Nicosia Office, the DEA and the INP conduct 
coordinated investigations throughout the world.  The INP 
also has liaison officers in Bangkok, Paris, The Hague, 
Bogota, Berlin, Moscow, Ankara, and Washington, DC.  Through 
these offices, there were several significant joint 
investigations conducted in 2004 leading to arrests of 57 
Israelis abroad in 2004. 
 
9.  Precursor Chemical Control.  Israel is not a significant 
producer of precursor chemicals.  Israeli Customs authorities 
are active participants in "Operation Topaz" a UN program 
that watches the movement of precursor chemicals. 
 
10.  Law Enforcement Efforts.  INP reports a high demand for 
cocaine and a total of 28.5 kg. seized in 2004, a figure less 
than half of that in 2003, and showing a decline for the last 
two years in a row.  In 2004, 14,167 kg. of marijuana was 
seized, about the same as in 2003.  In 2004, 773 kg. of 
hashish were seized, a quantity down slightly from last year, 
and a decline for two years in a row.  The number of ecstasy 
tablets seized in 2004 was 214,076, up almost three times the 
amount seized in 2003.  The level of heroin seized in 2004 
was 50 kg., comparable to 2003, with one seizure of 21 kg. in 
December 2004.  In 2004, 55,438 LSD blotters were seized in 
total, almost double the amount of blotters seized in 2003. 
There was a slight change from last year in the number of 
offense files reported by the INP.  In 2004, the INP reported 
12,335 files for drug use, 2,561 for drug trafficking, and 
6,007 for drug possession not for personal use.   Israel 
destroyed 528 illicit labs in 2004, compared with none in 
2003.  The figures for drug arrests in 2004 are not available. 
 
11. Corruption.  In April 2004, Israel arrested and indicted 
Gonan Segev, a former Energy Minister under Yitzhak Rabin, 
when he left a bag with 25,000 ecstasy pills in a locker at 
the Amsterdam airport on his way back to Israel.  Israel does 
not explicitly or implicitly support narcotics-related 
activities.  Israel does not have specific legislation for 
public corruption related to narcotics. 
 
12. Agreements and Treaties.  In June 2002, Israel ratified 
the 1988 UN Drug Convention after passing all the necessary 
laws to make Israeli laws consistent with the Convention.  In 
1991, the U.S. and Israel signed a memorandum of 
understanding calling for bilateral cooperation to combat 
illicit narcotics trafficking and abuse.  A dual taxation 
treaty between the U.S. and Israel entered into force in 
1994, which grants the U.S. tax authorities limited access to 
bank account information.  Israel is a party to the 1971 UN 
Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the 1961 UN Single 
Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and the 1972 Protocol amending 
the 1971 Convention.  A customs mutual assistance agreement 
and a mutual legal assistance treaty are also in force 
between Israel and the U.S.  The Israeli Customs Department's 
National Drug Enforcement Unit reports drug seizures to the 
World Customs Organization.  In December 2000 Israel signed 
the UN Convention against Transnational Crime and it is in 
the process of passing the necessary changes to Israeli law 
required for ratification.  In November 2001, Israel also 
signed the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish 
Trafficking in Persons, supplementing this convention. 
Israel is a party to the European Convention on Mutual Legal 
Assistance in Criminal Matters.  Israel regularly 
participates in the Third Committee of the United Nations in 
New York.  Israel is one of 36 parties to the European Treaty 
on Extradition and has separate extradition treaties with 
several other countries, including the U.S.  Under the 
Israeli extradition law, as recently amended, all persons, 
whether citizens or not, may be extradited for purposes of 
standing trial for extraditable offenses.  If the requested 
person was both a citizen and resident of Israel at the time 
the offense was committed, he may be extradited to stand 
trial abroad only if the state seeking extradition promises 
in advance to allow the person to return to Israel to serve 
any sentence imposed.  Israel is party to a number of other 
bilateral and multilateral agreements that allow for 
extradition and asset seizure. Israel cooperates with the 
UNDCP.  Israeli also has over 20 bilateral drug enforcement 
agreements with nations around the world. 
13.  Cultivation/Production.  There is negligible cultivation 
and production of illicit drugs in Israel. 
 
14. Drug Flow/Transit.  Israel is not a significant transit 
country, although Israeli citizens have been part of 
international drug trafficking networks in source, transit, 
and distribution countries.  Israeli officials are 
particularly concerned about drugs being smuggled into Israel 
from neighboring countries (Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt). 
Israel also works with Germany and Holland to interdict the 
flow of ecstasy, Turkey to interdict the flow the cocaine, 
and South American countries to interdict the flow of heroin. 
 
15.  Demand Reduction.  A number of both public and private 
entities are working to reduce the demand for drugs through 
awareness and prevention.  The Israeli Anti-Drug Authority 
(IADA) is one of the main governmental actors in this effort. 
 Its mission, among other things, is to spearhead prevention 
efforts, initiate and develop educational services and public 
awareness, and treat and rehabilitate drug users.  It 
coordinates with and directs the activities of a number of 
government ministries with a role in reducing demand.  The 
IADA also seeks to change the public atmosphere to counter 
increasing social acceptance of recreational drug use. 
Prevention programs target high-risk segments of the 
population like the Arab sector, as well as youths, students, 
backpackers, new immigrants, and others.  The IADA offers 
workshops and lectures for immigrants from Russia and 
Ethiopia in their respective languages and tailored to their 
particular cultural needs.  The IADA is working to reduce 
demand for narcotics among soldiers by providing officers 
with the skills to combat effectively the use of drugs within 
their units.  There is an ongoing public awareness campaign 
aimed at parents and designed to focus their attention on 
their children's whereabouts and activities.  The IADA also 
concentrates on human resources development, including the 
development of a professional infrastructure, and is 
establishing a unified standard for training purposes, 
including development of a curriculum for nurses, police, 
prison employees, physicians, and counselors, as well as 
other drug prevention, treatment, and enforcement 
professionals.  The IADA also performs basic, 
epidemiological, and evaluative research in the narcotic drug 
field.  The INP participates in demand reduction initiatives 
by lecturing at schools at all levels above 10 years of age 
and in the army about the impact of drugs on the body and 
mind. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Part IV: U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs. 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
16. Road Ahead.  The DEA regional office in Nicosia, Cyprus, 
looks forward to continued cooperation and coordination with 
its counterparts in the Israeli law enforcement community. 
The GOI is seeking to widen and build on relations with other 
countries and has created an office of International 
Relations within the IADA to pursue this objective.  Israel 
began its four-year-term as a member of the Commission on 
Narcotic Drugs (CND) in January 2004. 
 
--------------------------- 
Part V: Statistical Tables 
--------------------------- 
 
17. Drug Crop Cultivation.  N/A 
 
 
Drug seizures*             2004        2003 
------------------------------------------- 
Cocaine (kg.)              28.5          66 
 
Heroin  (kg.)                50          51 
 
Cannabis Resin (kg.)        773         900 
 
Herbal Cannabis (kg.)    14,167      14,795 
 
LSD (blotters)           55,438      28,331 
 
MDMA (Ecstasy)(tablets) 214,076**     7,658 
 
* Data represent seizures January through October.  Source of 
data:  Israel Police Headquarters, Research Department 
 
** Israel also seized 1.513 kg. of powder 
 
 
Drug Offense Files*        2004        2003 
------------------------------------------- 
 
Use                      12,335      15,162 
 
Trafficking               2,561       3,160 
 
Possession Not for        6,007       6,219 
Personal Use 
 
* Data represents January through October files. 
Source of data:  Israel Police Headquarters, Research 
Department 
 
 
Other Statistics*          2004       2003 
------------------------------------------ 
Illicit Labs Destroyed      528       None 
 
Arrests                     N/A      3,616 
 
 
* Data represents January through October files. 
Source of data:  Israel Police Headquarters, Research 
Department 
 
--------------------------- 
Part VI:  Chemical Control 
--------------------------- 
 
18.  Israel is not a significant producer of precursor 
chemicals.  Israeli Customs authorities are active 
participants in "Operation Topaz," a UN program that watches 
the movement of precursor chemicals.  Israel in 2004 approved 
legislation that requires factories to have licenses for the 
import of chemicals that can be used as precursor chemicals. 
 
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