US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV1013

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2015 
TAGS: PTER, EFIN, KPAL, KWBG, IS, COUNTERTERRORISM, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS BRIEF U/S LEVEY ON TERROR FINANCE STEPS 
AGAINST HAMAS AND HIZBALLAH AND VIEWS ON PA WELFARE REFORM 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Norm Olsen; Reasons: 1.4 (B) and (D) 
. 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Israeli National Security Council 
Counterterrorism Director General Danny Arditi met with 
Treasury U/S Stuart Levey and his delegation on February 14 
in Ramat Hasharon, near Tel Aviv.  Arditi said that the GOI 
has recently switched the focus of its terrorism finance 
efforts from Hamas to Hizballah.  He suggested that 
heightening the international community's awareness of 
Hizballah's criminal activities could help convince other 
governments to avoid ideological debates and focus on 
combating the group's illegal activities.  His staff provided 
information on a number of financial institutions and 
charities that they said provide funding to Hamas and 
Hizballah.  The Israelis described their goals of weakening 
support for Hamas among the Palestinian population and 
strengthening the PA's welfare infrastructure through the 
creation of a mechanism to transfer charity money to the 
territories and provide basic welfare for the poor.  The NSC 
Legal Advisor briefed the group on Israel's new terrorism 
finance law.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) During his briefing for the USDEL, Brigadier General 
Danny Arditi was joined by his Deputy for International 
Coordination Amnon Zehavi, Advisor for Terrorism Finance Lt. 
Col. Udi Levi, Advisor for Intelligence Uzi Shaya, NSA Legal 
Advisor Roy Dick, Israeli Embassy officer Eynat Shlien, 
Advisor for Intelligence Lt. Col. Amon Prodik, and a military 
staffer.  Treasury U/S for Enforcement and Head of the Office 
of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey was 
accompanied by Senior Advisor Adam Szubin, DAS Daniel Glaser, 
Senior Advisor Anne Wallwork, Public Affairs Specialist Molly 
Millerwise, IRS Senior Analyst Mark Weber, USSS Agent 
Jacqueline Marengo, USSS Agent Scott Salo, and Embassy 
notetaker. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Terrorism Finance: Shifting Focus from Hamas to Hizballah 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
3. (C) Arditi listed the Counterterrorism Financing Bureau's 
(CTFB) top four targets as Palestinian extremists (primarily 
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad), Palestinian Authority 
factions supporting terrorism, Hizballah, and global 
"jihadist" groups.  He noted that until recently the GOI's 
focus had been on Hamas.  Now that Israel has a better grasp 
of Hamas activities, he said, the GOI has shifted its sights 
to Hizballah.  U/S Levey noted that Hizballah is a high 
priority for the USG and asked if the PA is cooperating with 
efforts to curb the group.  Arditi replied that such 
cooperation is "possible," but that it is "a little too 
early" to expect PA assistance.  Levi expressed his view that 
the EU would designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization 
if Abu Mazen would quietly support the move. 
 
4. (C) Addressing the Hamas problem, Levi claimed that more 
than half of the group's funding had formerly come from Saudi 
Arabia, but Riyadh's decision to cut the flow of unregulated 
NGO funds to the territories has "caused real damage" to 
Hamas finances.  Arditi added that international efforts have 
"weakened the Hamas grip on the Palestinian public."  Levi 
said that Hamas still receives USD 2-3 million a year from 
Iran through Damascus or the Sederat Bank in Lebanon, as well 
as additional funding from charities in the west, commercial 
activities, and individuals in the Gulf states, primarily 
Kuwaitis and Qataris channeling money through the UAE.  He 
claimed that this funding enters the West Bank and Gaza 
through money changers and couriers.  He said that Hamas 
formerly used the banking system as well, but this channel 
had been cut after U.S. lawyers filed suit against the Arab 
Bank. 
 
5. (C) Levi estimated that Iran provides USD 70-90 million of 
Hizballah's annual budget, mostly through the Sederat Bank, 
while the rest of the funding stems largely from criminal 
activities such as counterfeiting and drugs.  Arditi 
suggested that increasing the international community's 
awareness of Hizballah's criminal activities could help to 
convince other governments to avoid ideological debates and 
focus on combating the group's illegal activities.  U/S Levey 
and Glaser replied that Saudi Arabia is using a similar 
tactic to gain domestic support for its fight against 
Al-Qaeda. 
 
6. (C) Levi charged that at least two banks (the 
Lebanese-Canadian Bank and the Societe Generale de Banque au 
Liban) are "connected directly to the financial 
infrastructure of Hizballah."  In addition, he said, a Bank 
of America branch in the tri-border area of South America is 
handling Hizballah funds.  Shaya added that the Chavez 
government is allowing Hizballah to operate in Venezuela. 
Levi claimed that several NGOs in the United States are also 
supporting Hizballah and asked for them to be included on the 
USG lists of organizations that finance terrorism.  He agreed 
to provide further details on the banks and NGOs during the 
next terrorism finance meeting in Washington. 
 
7. (C) Levi called INTERPAL and other European groups that 
channel funds to Hamas "a problem we do not know how to 
solve," but added that lawsuits similar to the ones filed 
against the Arab Bank might help.  He suggested that another 
option to restrict funding would be to prevent INTERPAL from 
clearing dollar donations through New York.  U/S Levey 
requested additional information on INTERPAL to share with 
London and details of the bank transfers in the United 
States. 
 
8. (C) U/S Levey queried the Israelis about specifics of the 
Arab Bank's involvement with terrorism finance.  Levi said 
the bank had stopped all transactions to the territories 
after it was sued in U.S. court.  He cautioned, however, that 
the bank is "playing with evidence, cleaning the records, and 
deleting accounts" to cover its tracks.  Shaya said that the 
GOI has unspecified proof that the Arab Bank is still dealing 
with Hizballah in Lebanon.  Arditi noted the need for caution 
in dealing with the Arab Bank, reiterating the importance of 
its continued operation to the economies of Jordan and the 
territories. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Social Security: Beating Hamas at its Own Game 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
9. (C) Prodik said Israel aims to weaken support for Hamas 
among the Palestinian population, strengthening the PA's 
welfare infrastructure, and increase support for Abu Mazen 
and Finance Minister Salam Fayyad.  Cautioning that the PA 
welfare system is "currently not working," he advocated the 
creation of a mechanism to supplant Hamas as a means of 
transferring charity money to the territories, with PA 
oversight through the Religious Affairs Committee, or Waqf. 
 
10. (C) Prodik also addressed the need for the PA to 
strengthen its role vis-a-vis Hamas by establishing a 
national insurance system and assisting the poor.  He asked 
that the international community finance "at least part" of 
the PA's welfare projects in order to justify external 
monitoring and auditing.  Using data from the Palestinian 
Central Bureau of Statistics, Prodik claimed that total 
direct humanitarian assistance equals approximately 51 
million USD per year. 
 
11. (C) Noting that current welfare recipients include 
families of imprisoned and deceased terrorists, U/S Levey 
requested GOI views on how destitute individuals would be 
chosen.  Levi replied that the PA could pay all "needy" 
families, regardless of what caused their situation.  He 
stressed, however, that Israel would strongly oppose adding 
new families of "martyrs" to the welfare rolls once the 
program is underway. 
 
12. (C) U/S Levey asked what steps the USG could take to 
support these goals.  He noted that the USG is considering 
similar ideas, as well as alternative channels for private 
donations, but wants to adapt USG thinking to the situation 
on the ground.  Arditi commented "we won't be able to do it 
without American involvement -- neither us nor the 
Palestinians."  Prodik said that coordinating donors and 
ensuring external auditing/monitoring would be the most 
helpful roles for the USG.  U/S Levey asked if the GOI had 
shared its thoughts with the PA.  Levi replied that only the 
welfare idea had been raised; Arditi added that it is 
"premature" to share other thoughts at this time. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
New Israeli Terrorism Finance Law Closes Gaps 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
13. (C) Dick briefed the group on Israel's new terrorism 
finance law.  He said that the law supplements existing 
legislation by closing two important gaps: it allows the GOI 
to designate individuals, not just groups, as "terrorist 
activists," and permits designation of individuals and groups 
even if not specifically linked to terrorism in Israel.  He 
said the legislation's safeguards allow for judicial review, 
reconsideration of designees after four years, and the 
ability of the oversight committee to remove names from the 
list.  Dick urged the USG to submit names for inclusion on 
the designation list once the new law enters into force in 
June 2005. 
 
14. (U) Undersecretary Levey has cleared this message. 
 
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