US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3178

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 003178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAL, PHUM, EG, IS, ICRC, Protocol Conference, Magen David Adom, MDA 
SUBJECT: MDA:  SWISS PROJECT DIRECTOR PFIRTER'S 
CONSULTATIONS WITH EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS ON THIRD PROTOCOL 
CONFERENCE AND EMBLEM ISSUE 
 
REF: A. BERN 630 (NOTAL) 
 
     B. STATE 71261 (NOTAL) 
     C. CAIRO 2875 
     D. GENEVA 811 (NOTAL) 
     E. CAIRO 2515 
 
Classified by Charge Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) During a two-day visit to Egypt April 20-21, Swiss 
Department of Foreign Affairs Policy Coordinator Didier 
Pfirter met with senior Egyptian and Arab League officials to 
discuss the Magen David Adom (MDA) and Third Protocol issues. 
 During the meetings, the Egyptian MFA expressed concerns 
over the timing of Swiss efforts absent greater progress on 
the Roadmap and absent (unspecified) gestures from the 
Israeli side toward the Palestinians.  Arab League Secretary 
General Amre Moussa was categorically unhelpful, while 
Presidential advisor Osama El Baz was sympathetic but 
similarly concerned over timing of the Swiss initiative. 
Poloff encouraged the Swiss to keep up the pressure;  post 
will continue to do the same.  End summary. 
 
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Swiss Policy Coordinator on Regional Tour 
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2.  (C) Swiss Government Policy Coordinator on the MDA issue 
Didier Pfirter, during an introductory visit to Cairo April 
20-21, met with Egyptian MFA Assistant Minister Ahmed 
Fathallah, Chief of the MFA Cabinet Sameh Shukry, 
Presidential Advisor Osama El Baz, Arab League Secretary 
General Amre Moussa, and Red Crescent Secretary General 
Mamduh Gabr.  According to Swiss Embassy poloff Peter Nelson, 
the general GOE reaction to Pfirter's presentation ranged 
between cautious and negative.  Pfirter, he said, described 
three policy options open to the international community on 
the MDA issue:  one, a six-month fast-track approach to 
complete the entire process of bringing the MDA into the 
Movement;  two, maintenance of the status quo with blame 
directed toward the Arab governments for not moving, and; 
three, removing some of the urgency surrounding the issue by 
seeking commitments by state parties to move forward over the 
coming two years in return for abandoning the fast-track 
approach.  The last of these three options is Egypt's 
preferred choice, according to Nelson. 
 
3.  (C) Assistant Minister Fathallah reportedly expressed to 
Pfirter his doubts about moving forward with the Third 
Protocol and MDA issues, noting that the situation on the 
ground in the occupied territories had not changed 
significantly for the Palestinians.  While there was 
currently a lull in fighting and violence, Fathallah 
reportedly conveyed, the situation is fluid and can easily 
take a turn for the worse.  Nevertheless, the GOE was 
currently consulting with other Arab and Muslim governments 
and trying to reach a consensus position on the subject. 
Fathallah recommended that Pfirter continue to engage and 
work with these delegations in Geneva.  MFA Chief of Cabinet 
Sameh Shukry similarly expressed skepticism on the timing of 
the Swiss initiative, suggesting that the "fast-track" 
timetable being discussed was too ambitious.  Geneva's 
hosting of a diplomatic conference on the Third Protocol in 
October, as suggested, was too early for Cairo and other Arab 
states.  Similarly, Presidential Advisor Osama El Baz 
expressed sympathy for solving the problem but revealed 
concerns over the timing of the Swiss efforts.  It would be 
difficult for Arab governments to make conciliatory gestures 
to Israel such as this one, the Egyptians argued, absent 
better news regarding cessation of settlement and security 
barrier construction by Israel and the improvement of the 
humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the territories. 
Red Crescent Secretary General Gabr was sympathetic to 
resolving the MDA issue but recognized that state parties 
alone would determine the success or failure of these efforts. 
 
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Bringing the Egyptians on Board 
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4.  (C) While Egyptian caution on the MDA issue was entirely 
expected, poloff encouraged his Swiss counterpart to keep up 
the pressure.  Post will do the same, taking advantage of 
upcoming meetings with senior GOE officials to make clear 
that the MDA issue is a high priority to the USG. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
CORBIN