US embassy cable - 05CAIRO6417

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KPAL, EG, IS, ICRC 
SUBJECT: VISIT OF NEA ASSISTANT SECRETARY WELCH:  EGYPTIAN 
FOREIGN MINISTER ON MDA/THIRD PROTOCOL ISSUE 
 
 
Classified by Charge Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) During an August 18 telephone conversation with 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, NEA Assistant 
Secretary David Welch pressed for GOE cooperation on moving 
 
SIPDIS 
forward with the Magen David Adom (MDA)/Third Protocol issue, 
particularly assisting Swiss efforts to convene a Diplomatic 
Conference during the last week of October.  It was important 
for Egypt to help resolve the MDA issue, Welch said, as it 
was at heart a humanitarian issue. 
 
2.  (C) Aboul Gheit stated that Egypt was "willing to go 
along," but that Palestinian Foreign Minister Kidwa was being 
difficult.  The Palestinian Foreign Minister, he said, had 
accused Egypt of doing some "unfriendly thing" to the 
Palestinian Authority (Note: He may have been referring to 
reports that Egypt told Swiss Ambassador Pfirter they would 
be flexible if Israel publicly declared its intention to 
maintain MDA activities within 1967 borders.  End note).  The 
Palestinians simply do not want the MDA operating within the 
Occupied Territories, he added.  Pushing back, Welch told 
Aboul Gheit that Kidwa and the Palestinian Authority were 
taking a short-sighted view.  The Palestinians needed "wiser" 
GOE leadership on this issue.  The MDA/Third Protocol issue 
was a humanitarian issue, Welch repeated;  it was wrong to 
delay progress on resolution over fears of legal precedents 
and final status issues like borders.  These fears are 
overstated and irrelevant.  Welch told Aboul Gheit that Egypt 
should have a stronger voice than Kidwa's on this issue. 
 
3.  (U) This message was cleared by A/S Welch. 
 
 
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. 
 
JONES