US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5019

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 005019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2015 
TAGS: ECON, EAID, KWBG, KPAL, PREL, MARR, PTER, IS, EG, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: GAZA DISENGAGEMENT: GEN. DANGOTT UPDATES 
AMBASSADOR ON NEGOTIATIONS WITH PALESTINIANS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for Reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
======= 
SUMMARY 
======= 
 
1. (C) DEFMIN Mofaz's Military Adviser, General Eitan 
Dangott, updated Ambassador August 12 on status of ongoing 
GOI-Palestinian negotiations on post-disengagement issues, 
including the disposition of settler housing, the degree of 
authority for Gaza, improvement in passages, the Gaza 
disputed border, greenhouses, the Philadelphi Strip, and the 
legal status of the evacuated area of the West Bank.  Dangott 
said that the two sides are close to agreement on the 
principles for the dismantlement of settler housing, but that 
the GOI needs USG help in (a) assuring that Egypt agrees to 
take unused rubble from the demolished homes; and (b) 
securing either EU or World Bank agreement to serve as the 
dismantlement program manager.  On passages and access, 
Dangott said discussions on the Karni border crossing are 
moving forward, but the Palestinian side is delaying 
discussion of Erez because they want to discuss the border 
issue.  The Israelis are assembling a pilot program for 
Gaza-West Bank convoys and will review it with the 
Palestinians within two weeks. 
 
2. (C) Dangott expressed frustration with the Palestinian 
side's efforts to front-load the border demarcation as an 
issue.  The GOI believes Egypt is behind this tactic.  On 
Philadelphi and the security customs envelope, Dangott said 
Israel needs more time to discuss the issues with the 
Palestinians and fine-tune a way ahead that is acceptable to 
the Knesset.  On the status of the northern West Bank areas 
that will be evacuated, Dangott said NGO and Palestinian 
concerns were essentially unfounded, as the area's status 
will evolve with time and Palestinian security performance. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
=============== 
Settler Housing 
=============== 
 
3. (C) Dangott said that Palestinian Authority Minister of 
Civil Affairs Muhammad Dahlan had agreed, after meeting with 
Omar Suleiman in Egypt, that private companies will remove 
the rubble from the demolition of settler homes.  Egypt will 
send a small team to Gaza to discreetly look at the houses 
while disengagement is taking place.  Referring to the draft 
principles documents, Dangott said only three of the ten 
principles remain unresolved.  In particular, Dahlan objects 
to references to Egypt, claiming that this will anger the 
Egyptians.  Dangott requested USG assistance on this matter. 
The Ambassador said the USG is asking the Egyptians to notify 
the GOI directly or through the USG of their agreement to 
receive the rubble.  Dangott said that once the principles 
are agreed, the GOI would want it signed by MOD DG Amos 
Yaron, Wolfensohn and Dahlan.  He stressed that the three 
signatures are important, psychologically, for the 
Palestinians. 
 
4. (C) Dangott said he understands that Wolfensohn is 
currently in the U.S. seeking agreement for either the World 
Bank or the European Union to serve as project manager for 
the demolition.  Dangott said he would discuss the issue with 
the resident European Union representative the evening of 
August 12.  Dangott expressed appreciation for our help, but 
stressed that the GOI needs a positive answer from the EU or 
World Bank by August 14.  Asked if the UN could serve as 
project manager in case the EU and World Bank refuse, Dangott 
replied that the GOI would prefer the that UN not be 
involved.  He explained that Israel's experience with the UN 
has been difficult, and that the UN would draw in too many 
actors. 
 
5. (C) Dangott confirmed that the GOI would remove asbestos 
and other hazardous materials from the settler housing. 
Referring to the homes in the four West Bank settlements that 
are to be destroyed, Dangott said that Environment Minister 
Director General Miki Haran would provide him with 
information on the buildings the week of August 14.  In the 
meantime, Haran had already told him that there was no 
asbestos in the private houses -- only in the public, 
industrial buildings.  Dangott said that he had already 
passed to Dahlan information on which public buildings would 
not be razed. 
 
======================================= 
Gaza Status to be Discussed Bilaterally 
======================================= 
 
6. (C) Dangott briefly touched on the issue of the source of 
authority for Gaza, saying it was being discussed bilaterally 
with the Palestinian Authority.  He said the GOI was trying 
to "push something through," and was confident the issue 
would be resolved to both sides' satisfaction. 
 
=================== 
Passages and Access 
=================== 
 
7. (C) Dangott said that he will meet next week with Dahlan 
to discuss the principles of Rafah access through the present 
and near term (e.g., while the GOI remains in Philadelphi), 
and in the future.  Discussions on Karni have already started 
and are moving forward.  Dangott expressed frustration, 
however, that Dahlan appears hesitant to discuss Erez because 
Dahlan wants to negotiate the border.  The GOI is now waiting 
to hear from Dahlan on issues of technology to improve the 
passages.  Dangott stressed that it was important to move 
forward on Erez during disengagement, and that it was 
necessary to "push" Dahlan. 
 
8. (C) The General said the GOI is working on a pilot program 
for transportation of people and goods between Gaza and the 
West Bank, and would have it ready within two weeks, for 
review with the Palestinians.  Dangott acknowledged that the 
Palestinians wanted same-day, door-to-door transport of 
goods.  Time is needed, however, before a door-to-door system 
could be implemented.  The GOI wants to see progress on other 
issues -- e.g., security issues -- before it starts 
discussing door-to-door passage with the Palestinian side. 
Dangott observed that the GOI also has work to do to sort out 
responsibilities on its side.  He said he is trying to get 
the GOI to agree that the MOD will be responsible for the 
Karni border crossing. 
 
========== 
The Border 
========== 
 
9. (C) Dangott expressed frustration that Dahlan is always 
pushing to have the Gaza border issue placed up front as a 
main issue of discussion.  The GOI believes Egypt is behind 
Dahlan's constant pressure on the matter.  Dangott said 
Israel cannot allow this issue to be turned into something 
close to "Shebaa Farm" that would be exploited to justify 
resumption of attacks against Israel from Gaza. 
 
=========== 
Greenhouses 
=========== 
 
10. (C) The Ambassador said that Wolfensohn had reached 
agreement with the settlers on the greenhouses.  Dangott 
expressed appreciation for Wolfensohn's assistance, and said 
he had passed over all the information he had in his database 
to Wolfensohn.  He promised the GOI's help in allowing 
Palestinians to work at the greenhouses during disengagement. 
 
================= 
Philadelphi Strip 
================= 
 
11. (C) Dangott recounted that the Israeli security cabinet 
had designed two options for the passage of goods and people 
from Egypt that preserves Israel's security needs: 
 
(a) The GOI could move the customs and security envelope to 
the Erez and Karni border crossings. 
 
(b) The GOI could build a border crossing for people and 
goods in the southeastern corner of Gaza (at Kerem Shalom) in 
two months, and then eventually connect the border crossing 
with the airport. 
 
12. (C) Dangott said he is afraid he will not be able to 
convince Dahlan to choose one of these options.  He said 
Dahlan maintains his preference for goods and people being 
allowed to move between Gaza and Egypt via the Rafah border 
crossing.  The Israeli side has told Dahlan it needs to keep 
Rafah secure to (1) prevent crossings into Gaza by Hamas and 
Islamic Jihad members (Dangott stressed that Israel has 
information that the PIJ members will cross into Gaza if 
Rafah is opened.); and (2) keep the security and customs 
envelope intact.  Dangott said that the Israeli side has made 
it clear that it wants to withdraw from Philadelphi as soon 
as possible.  This hinges, however, on concluding an 
agreement with the Egyptians on deploying their 750 border 
guards.  Dangott said that while negotiations are being 
finalized, he had doubts that the Knesset will confirm the 
agreement.  The General said he will need to further discuss 
the agreement with the Egyptians, and that the earliest it 
could be presented to the Knesset would be within two weeks. 
13. (C) Dangott said he would meet Palestinian Minister of 
Interior Nasir Yusif August 14 to discuss how Palestinian 
security forces will deploy on the eve of disengagement.  He 
stressed that the Palestinians must deploy their forces on 
August 14, as the Israeli forces will be deployed August 15. 
Dahlan told Dangott that he is building a 20,000-man security 
force.  Dangott's impression was that Nasir Yusif was not 
involved in the issue; consequently, the GOI had few 
expectations this would occur. 
 
=================================== 
Status of West Bank Evacuated Areas 
=================================== 
 
14. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's question about the 
status of the northern West Bank areas that will be evacuated 
as a result of disengagement, Dangott said their status would 
change, in effect, from Area B possibly to "Area B Plus." 
The General stressed that this is a question to be decided by 
the GOI.  He noted, however, that the area in question is 
very small, and that concerns about its status -- from NGOs 
and Palestinians -- are essentially unfounded.  He said the 
IDF has no intention of remaining in the area, and that the 
GOI will not stop projects that NGOs coordinate with General 
Mishlev.  Dangott said that, on the Palestinian side, the 
status issue is being raised by Dahlan only -- Nasir Yusif is 
"not aware of it."  Dangott said the matter is not "worth 
raising," as the GOI will cooperate with any friendly partner 
in the area, and believes the status of the area will change 
if Palestinian security performance is positive. 
 
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