US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV4335

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004335 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KWBG, EG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GOI INTERNAL, GOI EXTERNAL 
SUBJECT: GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: SHARON INDICATES HE WILL SEEK 
KNESSET APPROVAL FOR BORDER DEPLOYMENT TREATY WITH EGYPT 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 4207 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b 
,d). 
 
1.  (C) Prime Minister Sharon indicated to the press July 12 
that he will seek Knesset approval of an Israeli-Egyptian 
agreement -- that has not yet been finalized -- allowing some 
750 Egyptian border guard soldiers to secure the 
Egyptian-Gaza border as part of implementing the 
disengagement plan (reftel).  Knesset opponents of the 
agreement conceded that Sharon can likely expect a Knesset 
majority in favor of the agreement.  Sharon's announcement 
came the same day that chair of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs 
and Defense Committee Yuval Steinitz and Labor MK Danny Yatom 
submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice to compel 
the GOI to seek Knesset approval of the border deployment 
agreement.  The petition asserts that the agreement 
represents a material change to the 1973 Israeli-Egyptian 
peace treaty, thus requiring Knesset approval.  A separate 
and similar petition was filed by right-wing MKs Ariel Eldad, 
Yitzchak Levy, and Uri Ariel.  Eldad told Poloff July 12 that 
he views the treaty as "dangerous to Israel."  The MKs filed 
the petitions in response to Attorney General Menachem 
Mazuz's July 6 decision that the agreement would not 
represent a material change to the 1973 treaty, and therefore 
would not require Knesset ratification. 
 
2.  (C) David Sharan, advisor to Steinitz, told Poloff July 
13 that Sharon likely wants to avoid being embarrassed by a 
High Court decision requiring that he submit the treaty to 
the Knesset, and is thus trying to preempt such an outcome. 
When asked about the timing of Knesset consideration of the 
treaty, Sharan noted that since the GOI and GOE have not yet 
signed a formal agreement, the matter is not before the 
Knesset.  Ha'aretz reported July 13 that Cabinet Secretary 
Israel Maimon told Knesset Speaker Reuvin Rivlin July 12 that 
the matter would be presented to the Knesset after the 
Cabinet votes on it.  It is not yet clear when the agreement 
will be finalized.  Sharan added that until Sharon actually 
submits the agreement to the Knesset for a vote, Steinitz's 
petition will remain before the High Court for consideration. 
 Sharan said that the petition will be withdrawn when the 
matter appears on the Knesset agenda.  "Between (Sharon) 
saying something to the press and that something actually 
happening, is a small gap," Sharan remarked. 
 
3.  (C) Sharan underlined that Steinitz is against the 
deployment of Egyptian troops near the Philadelphi corridor. 
He said that he and Steinitz do not believe the Egyptians 
will effectively prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into 
Gaza.  Ha'aretz reported July 13 that Steinitz has vowed to 
work toward assembling a Knesset majority against the 
agreement.  Asked whether the treaty would garner a Knesset 
majority, however, Sharan assessed that "sadly" it would. 
Several MKs from various parties told Poloff July 12 that 
Sharon can likely count on the same Knesset majority that has 
supported the disengagement plan.  Sharan estimated that 
Sharon could count on a strong majority of some half (20) of 
Likud's MKs, 21 Labor MKs, 14 Shinui MKs, six Yahad/Meretz 
MKs, and the eight Israeli-Arab MKs -- 69 of 120 MKs. 
 
 
 
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