US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2506

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002506 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, AND OES 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL 
NAIROBI PASS U.S. REP TO UNEP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2015 
TAGS: SENV, EAID, PREL, PGOV, KWBG, IS, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: NEA ADVISOR DISCUSSES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN 
ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION WITH MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, 
FINNISH COUNSELOR 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 1024 
 
Classified By: Acting Econ Counselor Bob Tansey, reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Minister of Environment Shalom Simhon and 
Finnish Embassy Counselor Matti Tulonen expressed their 
support for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation on environmental 
issues in meetings with NEA Senior S&T Advisor Charles 
Lawson.  The GOI Ministry of Environment is proposing that 
the Israeli-Palestinian Environmental Experts Committee (EEC) 
meet every six months, with regular working groups on Gaza 
and the West Bank meeting monthly and ad hoc groups meeting 
on special projects and issues as needed.  The Finnish 
diplomat said that his government is willing to support 
environmental projects agreed to within the EEC.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) NEA Senior S&T Advisor met with GOI Minister of 
Environment Shalom Simhon April 5 to discuss 
Israeli-Palestinian Environmental Cooperation and other 
topics. (Septels report on the Minister's comments on renewed 
Japanese interest in Multilateral Peace Process environmental 
activities and Israeli garbage dump on the West Bank). 
Simhon was accompanied by Senior Deputy Director General for 
Policy and Planning Valerie Brachya and International 
Relations Division Director Ori Livne.  Lawson was 
accompanied by ESTH Officer and an interpreter.  (Note: 
Simhon does not speak English.  End note). 
 
3. (C) Noting his familiarity with water issues as a former 
agriculture minister, Simhon expressed his hopes for future 
progress on water negotiations between Israel and its 
neighbors and support from the international community on 
projects to relieve water shortages in the region.  He voiced 
concern about the lack of sewage treatment facilities in 
Palestinian areas and the effect on Israeli efforts towards 
rehabilitation of rivers and streams and control of 
mosquitoes.  Lawson briefed Simhon on progress on the 
USAID-sponsored Hebron Waste Water Treatment Plant. 
 
4. (C) Simhon expressed the willingness of his ministry to 
work with Palestinian counterparts, whether directly or 
through other parties, to strengthen environmental 
cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.  He said Israel 
was ready to support the PA in its efforts to strengthen 
environment regulation.  Simhon noted his personal support 
towards the meeting of the Environmental Experts Committee 
(EEC) meeting scheduled for May 2, and expressed his hope 
that the U.S. would continue to work on sewage treatment 
projects in the Palestinian territories and that other donors 
would support specific projects. 
 
5. (C) Outside of the meeting with Minister Simhon, Livne 
told Lawson that she was communicating with Ahmed Abu Thaher, 
Director General for Projects and International Relations of 
the PA's Environmental Quality Authority, regarding 
preparations for the May 2 EEC meeting.  Without elaborating, 
Livne commented that the Ministry of Environment was having 
trouble within the GOI as it prepared for the EEC meeting. 
She said she was proposing to Abu Thaher that the EEC meet 
every six months, with regular committees on West Bank and 
Gaza issues meeting monthly and ad hoc groups on special 
projects and issues meeting as necessary. 
 
6. (C) Lawson and ESTH Officer spoke briefly with MOE 
Director General Miki Haran briefly following the meeting 
with the minister.  Haran said she hoped that Simhon would be 
able to make a visit to the U.S. in the near future for 
targeted discussions and site visits to observe American 
experience and expertise relevant to some of Israel's key 
environmental challenges, including hazardous waste and 
asbestos cleanups, rivers and streams rehabilitation, and 
thermal treatment of wastes. 
 
7. (C) Lawson met with Embassy of Finland Counselor Matti 
Tulonen April 8.  Tulonen had helped arrange the 
Israeli-Palestinian meeting in Helsinki (reftel) that led to 
the revival of the EEC.  It was striking to him that such 
meetings had to be "secret."  Lawson explained that meetings 
on environmental issues had taken place openly in the region 
before the Intifada and some multilateral activities were 
already returning to the region.  Tulonen said that worldwide 
Finland was concentrating its development assistance on 12 
countries or areas, including the Palestinian Authority, and 
had already provided 25 million Euros for Palestinian 
projects. 
 
8. (C) Tulonen said that Finland was ready to support 
environmental projects agreed to by the EEC.  He welcomed 
communication and coordination with U.S. counterparts. 
Noting that the development experts working under the 
supervision of his embassy were stationed in Ramallah, he 
suggested that he arrange a meeting in May to include 
himself, those officials, ESTH Officer, USAID, and officers 
of the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.  He offered to 
arrange such a meeting in either Ramallah or Jerusalem.  ESTH 
Officer said he would pass on Tulonen's offer to USAID and 
ConGen colleagues. 
 
9. (C) Comment:  The Finnish offer to provide tangible 
assistance in support of EEC projects is particularly welcome 
as preparations for the May 2 EEC meeting move forward.  We 
will be in touch with Tulonen following the May 2 meeting to 
coordinate our efforts.  End comment. 
 
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