US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV1888

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2010 
TAGS: IS, KPAL, PREL, XF, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: (C)  MOFAZ ACCUSES PA MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OF 
SMUGGLING SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1,  (C)  Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz asked to see 
the Ambassador and Lt. Gen. Ward on Sunday, March 27, in 
anticipation of Mofaz's departure later that day to the 
United States.  Mofaz started the meeting by saying "bad" 
things were happening in Gaza.  While part of the Palestinian 
Authority security service was trying to expose the tunnels 
used for smuggling, Palestinian military intelligence, which 
is under the authority of Moussa Arafat, has been involved in 
smuggling "strella" surface-to-air missiles into Gaza.  Mofaz 
said that a few such missiles had been smuggled into Gaza 
before the Sharm el-Sheik summit, but this latest activity by 
elements of PA military intelligence crossed a "red line." 
Mofaz said that he had sent a message to Palestinian 
President Abbas and had dispatched the IDF Southern Commander 
to tell Moussa Arafat directly that if the Palestinian 
Authority does not arrest the smugglers and retrieve the 
"strellas," the IDF will do it.  In response to our question, 
Mofaz said there is no evidence that Moussa Arafat is 
personally involved in this activity. 
 
2.  (C)  Responding to Mofaz's request for an update on his 
mission, General Ward said that he has begun to see signs of 
a "mental shift" among Palestinians who are beginning to 
recognize the need to change the way they do business.  They 
have presented a plan to consolidate security organizations 
into a cohesive number of organizations which would be 
responsible to civilian authority.  While there is still a 
gap between the intellectual understanding of what needs to 
be done and the reality on the ground, Ward said the mental 
shift underway should not be discounted. 
 
3.  (C)  Ward continued by describing his efforts to help 
empower Minister of Interior Nassir Yousef as the focal point 
for Palestinian security.  Ward had impressed this message on 
Palestinian Prime Minister Qureia and had asked that the 
Prime Minister make this clear in public.  Ward said he was 
very disturbed that, in a meeting with Yousef to which Moussa 
Arafat and Intelligence Chief Amin Al-Hindi had been invited, 
Arafat and Al-Hindi had failed to show up.  Yousef had told 
Ward that he knows there is a problem and knows that it must 
be fixed. 
 
4.  (C)  Ward said that he has talked with Yousef and other 
Palestinian officials about the urgent need to prepare and 
coordinate disengagement so that there are no security gaps. 
Yousef had responded that the PA needs vehicles, weapons and 
equipment, and he argued that the PA's ability to provide 
security in Gaza will depend largely on the help offered by 
Israel.  Yousef acknowledged that smuggling was a big problem 
that needed to be fixed.  Ward said he had given Yousef 
feedback on the security consolidation plan, focusing on the 
fact that there was too much redundancy and too many layers 
which resulted in there being too many chiefs. 
 
5.  (C)  Looking ahead, Ward said he will travel to Egypt 
this week and Jordan next week to meet with the respective 
leaderships.  He hopes to convene a meeting with donors to 
talk about donor coordination and to argue strongly for all 
the donors to empower the Minister of Interior.  He also 
plans to attend an EU seminar focused on civilian police. 
 
6.  (C)  In response to Ward's briefing, Mofaz said there are 
a number of issues which need to be emphasized.  Coordination 
between Israel and PA on disengagement is critical.  Mofaz 
said he was disappointed that Qureia had said publicly that 
there would be no coordination, but Mofaz said he intended to 
reach out to Palestinians for discussions on disengagement 
when he returned from the U.S.  Mofaz also complained that 
the PA has not fulfilled its part of the agreement regarding 
the transfer of cities.  Specifically, the PA has done 
nothing to disarm and curb the activities of the fugitives in 
Jericho and Tulkarm.  As such, Mofaz said, planning for the 
transfer of Qalqilyah will continue, but the city will not be 
transferred until the PA carries out its responsibilities on 
fugitives.  Finally, Mofaz complained that the PA is not 
taking active steps against terrorism, and that Hamas and PIJ 
continue preparing to conduct terrorism.  While conceding 
that the main terror preparations are taking place in Nablus 
and Jenin -- areas still under Israeli control -- Mofaz said 
that terror cells are also active in Gaza and Tulkarm. 
 
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KURTZER