US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5698

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005698 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2015 
TAGS: SENV, PREL, PGOV, KPAL, KWBG, IS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
SUBJECT: ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS 
COMMITTEE STALLED 
 
REF: A. A. TEL AVIV 02506 
     B. B. TEL AVIV 01024 
     C. C. 04 JERUSALEM 4029 
     D. D. AMMAN 5073 
     E. E. TEL AVIV 02486 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein, reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
This message was cleared with Consulate General Jerusalem. 
 
1. (C/NF) Summary: Officials from the MFA, Environment 
Ministry, and Coordinator of Government Activities in the 
Territories (COGAT) plan to meet post-disengagement to 
discuss whether and how to go forward with the Environmental 
Experts Committee (EEC).  Progress on restarting the EEC, 
suspended since the beginning of the recent Intifada, slowed 
after the GOI's last-minute decision not to attend a May 2 
EEC meeting because of internal debate on the meeting's 
location.  Furthermore, accusations of Israeli "environmental 
atrocities" at a July 30 press conference by Palestinian 
Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) head Yousef Abu Safiyya 
have led the MOE to consider pursuing other PA partners for 
the Committee. End Summary. 
 
2. (C/NF) ESTH Officer and TDY Deptoff met August 9 with Ori 
Livne, MOE International Relations Director to discuss 
Israeli-Palestinian environmental cooperation.  Livne 
expressed frustration with repeated attempts to work with 
Yousef Abu Safiyya, head of the Environment Quality Authority 
(EQA) on concrete environmental projects to improve the lives 
of Israelis and Palestinians.  At a July 30 press conference 
at the International Press Center in Gaza City, Abu Safiyya 
accused Israel of committing environmental atrocities in the 
occupied Palestinian territories.  Abu Safiyya stated that 
Israel had deliberately destroyed roads, infrastructure, and 
arable lands and uprooted two million trees during the 
Intifada.  (Note: In October 2004, ConGen reported that, as 
of 2003, 300,000 trees had been uprooted according to the 
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Palestinian 
Authority (PA) Ministry of Agriculture (ref C).  End Note). 
The disposal of toxic waste in the Palestinian territories 
was also cited as a concern.  (Note: Embassy Amman reported 
in June 2005 on the Israeli and Jordanian dumping of sewage 
in the lower part of the Jordan River which flows to 
Palestinian communities in the West Bank (ref D).  End Note). 
 Abu Saffiya also accused Israel of the theft from 
Palestinian areas of high quality sand, which is used to make 
electronic and glass materials.  (Comment:  ConGen and 
Embassy Tel Aviv have asked for the State Legal Advisor's 
opinion on how international law handles quarry-type 
operations in occupied territories (ref E).  End Comment). 
Abu Safiyya stated that the PA had requested help from UN 
agencies to stop Israeli violations of international law. 
Abu Safiyya did not respond to a letter from Livne after the 
press conference.  Without elaborating, Livne said she is 
considering attempting to identify a new Palestinian partner 
for the EEC, perhaps the Ministry of Local Government. 
 
3. (C/NF) TDY Deptoff discussed the EEC August 23 with Yaacov 
Keidar, MFA Water Issues Director.  Keidar said that Israel 
backed out of the planned May 2 EEC meeting because of 
internal debate over the location of the meeting.  According 
to Keidar, the Palestinians insisted that the meeting be held 
at the UNDP office with UN Environmental Program (UNEP) 
observers. (Note: UNEP had earlier brought the parties 
together in Helsinki to restart the EEC. End note).  Keidar 
said that Israeli officials initially agreed, but then 
decided not to attend because their position is that the EEC 
is bilateral and should not include others. (Note: Concerns 
about outside involvement and meeting locations have been 
raised primarily by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. End 
note).  However, Keidar said, since May 2, the GOI tried 
several times to restart the EEC but ceased those attempts 
after Abu Safiyya's press conference. 
 
4. (C/NF) According to Keidar, Abu Safiyya contacted, both 
orally and in writing, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Topfler, 
to request an audit for hazardous materials left in evacuated 
settlements.  Keidar said that Abu Safiyya wanted the EQA to 
be the first to go into these areas after the Israeli 
withdrawal, in order to conduct such an audit, and for the 
audit results to be put before the Hague (Note: We believe 
his reference is to the International Court of Justice, as 
the PA has used this Court previously. End note).  Topfler 
approached the GOI on the audit but was told that the GOI was 
not interested in an audit if there was an a prior intent to 
accuse Israel of environmental crimes, according to Keidar. 
Keidar said that Israel is not prepared to cooperate or meet 
with Abu Safiyya at this time. 
 
5. (C/NF) Keidar also said that he and Livne share the same 
views on the EEC and Abu Safiyya.  While Keidar did not 
answer directly when asked if Israeli officials had contacted 
the PA Ministry of Local Government, he did say that the EQA 
is a very small, very weak authority and that the MOLG is 
"much more practical."  But, he added, the PA has appointed 
the EQA as its official representative to the EEC, and so the 
PA must be the one to change it. 
 
6. (C/NF) On a positive note, Keidar reported that General 
Mishlev, head of the Civil Administration, had told him that 
PA Civil Affairs Minister Dahlan called Abu Safiyya to 
discuss convening the EEC, and, in a meeting between Mishlev 
and Dahlan, Dahlan said he would try to do something about 
the situation.  Keidar believes Dahlan is capable, but, with 
Dahlan's priority on disengagement, Keidar was not inclined 
to push the EEC issue with him.  Keidar stated that 
post-disengagement, the MFA, MOE and the Civil Administration 
will probably reconvene to discuss whether and how to go 
forward with the EEC. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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