US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5133

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 005133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KWBG, EG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GOI EXTERNAL, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: SHINUI LIKELY TO SUPPORT EGYPTIAN BORDER 
DEPLOYMENT AGREEMENT, GIVING SHARON A KNESSET MAJORITY 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 4694 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) A recently-finalized agreement between Israel and 
Egypt allowing some 750 Egyptian border guards to secure the 
Egyptian-Gaza border after disengagement is likely to receive 
Knesset approval with the support of Shinui.  Shinui MKs Ilan 
Leibovitch, Eti Livni, and Ilan Shalgi, told Poloff August 18 
that, despite reservations expressed by Shinui Chair Tommy 
Lapid, they are confident that Shinui will support an 
Israeli-Egyptian agreement and that the Knesset will endorse 
it.  With the support of Shinui's 14 MKs and a worst case 
scenario of only 13 of 40 Likud MKs supporting it, the 
Israel-Egypt agreement would likely pass a Knesset vote with 
as many as 64 votes.  The agreement's passage requires only a 
simple majority.  David Sharan, an aide to Likud MK Yuval 
Steinitz -- who strongly opposes the agreement -- told Poloff 
August 18 that he expects that despite some Knesset 
opposition to the agreement, in the end, it will pass.  Prime 
Minister Sharon agreed with Steinitz to seek Knesset 
endorsement of the Border Guards agreement even though 
Attorney General Mazuz determined that it is not necessary. 
 
2.  (C) Leibovitch added, however, that Shinui's support is 
contingent on Sharon including the condition that Egypt not 
supply the Palestinian Authority with weapons unless approved 
by the Cabinet and the Knesset, and that any change in the 
number of Egyptian border troops deployed on the Egypt-Gaza 
border also be approved by the Knesset.  Leibovitch said the 
former condition is to ensure that the Israeli-Egyptian Peace 
Treaty and military protocol are not violated.  Leibovitch 
said that the conditions are not secret and were specified by 
Lapid to Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz during the Knesset 
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, of which Leibovitch is 
a member, some two or three weeks ago.  Shalgi and Livni, who 
are not members of that committee, said they are not aware of 
any conditions to Shinui's support.  Leibovitch said that he 
personally strongly favors the agreement as he views Israel's 
departure from the Philadelphi Corridor as critical to 
disengagement. 
 
3.  (C) The recently finalized agreement will first require 
approval by the Cabinet, where it is ensured a majority 
buoyed by the eight Labor Party ministers' support.  The 
Cabinet vote is likely to come within days.  After Cabinet 
approval, the Government will request a special Knesset 
session since the Knesset is in recess through the end of 
October.  Sharon decided to seek Knesset approval of the 
agreement despite Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision 
some weeks ago that the agreement would not require Knesset 
endorsement.  Sharon had been facing strong Knesset criticism 
for pressing to leave the Knesset out of any decision on the 
agreement.  He also faced a petition to the High Court, 
spearheaded by Likud MK Yuval Steinitz, challenging his 
decision to avoid Knesset approval.  MK Shalgi noted that 
Shinui had advocated a Knesset vote on the agreement, during 
recent Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meetings, 
asserting that the agreement substantially changes the 
Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979, which the Knesset had 
approved. 
 
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KURTZER