US embassy cable - 05AMMAN4474

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004474 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM, L AND NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, EG, JO, ICRC 
SUBJECT: MDA: ISRAEL "WON'T PAY FOR MDA" WITH FOURTH 
CONVENTION MONITORING 
 
REF: A. GENEVA 1251 
     B. CAIRO 3842 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
. 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY.  Israel would rather abandon the possibility 
of holding a diplomatic conference this fall than accept 
Swiss Envoy Pfirter's proposal to overcome Egyptian/Arab 
League opposition by recommending Fourth Convention follow-on 
monitoring mechanisms when Switzerland presents its 
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) report to the UNGA in 
June, an Israeli official told visiting PRM PDAS Rich Greene. 
 Deputy Director General Roni Ya'ar believes the author of 
Switzerland's Fourth Committee report is also resisting this 
linkage based on the meetings the latter has held with the 
Israeli Supreme Court President and the Palestinian FM over 
the last two weeks.  However, Ya'ar plans to reinforce GOI 
opposition when he meets Ambassadors Staehelin and Pfirter in 
Bern following the internal May 23 Swiss meeting on 
conference next steps.  In the meantime, Ya'ar assured us 
that he would personally ensure Magen David Adom (MDA)'s 
Chairman does not repeat his threats to retaliate against the 
Swiss if they failed to convene the conference, and would 
also start ramping up bilateral engagement with the Czech 
Republic, Slovakia and Poland.  Ya'ar was uncertain if the 
PM's office had any "leverage" with Egypt on the emblem issue 
and expressed appreciation for USG efforts to engage the GOE. 
 Separately, regionally-based IFRC and ICRC Standing 
Commission officials told Greene that they remain concerned 
that MDA is not making sufficient efforts to bring their 
statutes into line with movement requirements.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
ISRAEL REFUSES TO USE FOURTH CONVENTION REPORT 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
2. (C)  Israel's MFA Deputy Director General for UN and 
International Organization Affairs, Roni Ya'ar, presented his 
government's early reaction to the strategy that Swiss Envoy 
on the Emblem Didier Pfirter is proposing to overcome 
Egyptian/Arab League opposition to the idea of convening a 
diplomatic conference to establish a neutral third emblem for 
the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement (ref A) with visiting PRM 
PDAS Richard Greene in Jerusalem May 16. Ya'ar said Israel 
opposed the idea of building Arab support for the conference 
by appending recommendations such as monitoring mechanisms to 
the IHL report that Switzerland is expected to present to the 
UNGA in June.  (NOTE:  The UNGA invited Switzerland to 
present this report at its 10th Emergency Session on the ICJ 
ruling on the barrier.  END NOTE.)  Ya'ar noted that the 
Swiss are pressing the idea of monitoring the Gaza Strip's 
Rafah customs terminal, but stressed that GOI opposition to 
such linkage is equally firm.  Israel, Ya'ar continued, will 
not "pay a price for MDA membership," adding that the GOI 
will consider the  conference "dead" the minute the Swiss 
attempted to link it to an UNGA resolution that opposes 
Israel's disengagement plan. 
 
3. (C)  However, Ya'ar thought the author of the Swiss Fourth 
Committee report, Ambassador Staehelin, would resist such 
linkage based on his May 8-14 visit to Jerusalem and 
Ramallah.  According to Ya'ar, Staehelin told Palestinian FM 
Nasser al Kidwa that there was "no room" to hold a conference 
on Fourth Committee issues.   Ya'ar conceded that the Swiss 
are "frustrated" that Israeli Supreme Court President Barak 
refuses to talk about the barrier while the issue is still 
before the court, but argued that the Swiss should be 
encouraged that the Swiss report will reference Supreme Court 
opinions, given that the GOI initially told Staehelin it 
would "recognize international law" when Staehelin requested 
that the GOI take action to recognize the ICJ ruling last 
year. 
 
ISRAELI NEXT STEPS, APPRECIATION FOR U.S. ENGAGEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
4. (C)  Ya'ar indicated that he would reiterate Israel's 
opposition to MDA membership/Fourth Committee report linkage 
in Bern May 23-24, where he is scheduled to meet Ambassadors 
Staehelin and Pfirter following the internal Swiss MFA 
meeting on conference next steps.  Ya'ar agreed that Egypt 
remained key, noting that Israel had received conflicting 
third-hand reports on the level of Arab opposition to the 
conference, and was uncertain who within the GOE was "calling 
the shots" on the emblem issue.  Ya'ar expressed strong 
appreciation for U.S. efforts to engage the Egyptians, noting 
that Israel would ramp up its bilateral engagement with the 
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.  He also assured Greene 
that he would personally ensure that MDA Chair Noam Yifrach 
worked to repair MDA's public image following the latter's 
recent threat to block Swiss diplomatic facilities with MDA 
ambulances. 
 
 
IFRC, STANDING COMMISSION CONCERNED ABOUT MDA READINESS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
5. (C)  Separately, regionally-based IFRC and ICRC Standing 
Commission officials told PDAS Greene in May 16-17 meetings 
in Jerusalem and Amman that they remain concerned about MDA's 
readiness.  IFRC Representative in Israel Anna Segall 
explained that MDA appears to have over-estimated its 
internal capacity, noting that MDA officials continue to 
claim they can bring its statutes into line with movement 
requirements in "two weeks."  Segall thought it was critical 
to turn MDA's high-level commitment to ensure that its 
statutes are in compliance ahead of the conference into 
immediate on-the-ground action by MDA staff.  She hoped to 
kick-start the process by securing MDA's agreement to 
participate in the IFRC's standard national self-assessment 
tool, and then contract a local organization with expertise 
in organizational change to maintain the momentum.  Segall 
noted that IFRC was in discussions with the American Red 
Cross (ARC) about funding, but currently lacked the estimated 
USD 15,000-20,000 in required funds.  In addition, Segall 
added that she also planned to approach MDA about its poor 
"presentation skills," observing that even MDA-ARC relations 
appeared strained. 
 
6. (C)  ICRC Standing Commission (SC)/Jordan Red Crescent 
President Dr. Al Hadid told Greene that he hoped ARC would do 
more to support renewed MDA-Palestinian Red Crescent Society 
(PRCS) joint training/capacity building, adding that he would 
also continue to maintain pressure on MDA to start its legal 
review immediately. (NOTE:  Al Khatib was retained as PRCS 
President at the annual PRCS meeting held in Ramallah May 
19-22.  END NOTE.)  Al Hadid noted that the SC remains 
supportive of the idea of holding a diplomatic conference 
this fall, and urged the U.S. not to be swayed by apparent 
Arab intransigence, pointing to the fact that Egypt's Red 
Crescent Society President remains committed. 
 
7. (U)  PDAS Greene cleared this message. 
 
 
HALE