US embassy cable - 05DOHA1609

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 001609 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IS, QA 
SUBJECT: FINAL MEETING WITH ISRAELI TRADE REP 
 
 
Classified By: Scott McGehee, CDA for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary. Dov Segev-Steinberg, Israeli trade 
representative, shared his views on a range of issues with 
Poloff in a final meeting before his departure from Qatar the 
last week of September. While the trade representative did 
not foresee any change in Qatar-Israeli relations and the 
current low profile status of his office in Qatar, he was 
encouraged by the words of Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al 
Thani, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of 
Qatar, to the Israeli Foreign Minister on the sidelines of 
the recent UNGA meeting. Segev-Steinberg also speculated that 
the Emir's daughter with Sheikha Mozah is being groomed to 
replace the current Foreign Minister. End Summary. 
 
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Backstage at UNGA 
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2. (C) Israeli Trade Representative Dov Segev-Steinberg 
expressed muted optimism on the prospects for improved 
Qatari-Israeli relations. Segev-Steinberg cited the comments 
of Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al 
Thani at a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan 
Shalom on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting. During the 
meeting the Qatari Foreign Minister praised the Israeli 
pull-out from Gaza and said that Qatar would consider opening 
diplomatic ties with Israel ahead of the establishment of a 
Palestinian State. However, the Qatari Foreign Minister 
stated that the Gaza pull-out was only a first step and that 
Israel had to continue with the West Bank. The Qatari Foreign 
Minister also stated that Arab countries should respond to 
the Israeli withdrawal by talking with Israel. 
 
3. (C)Segev-Steinberg also touched upon the Qatari Foreign 
Minister's 14 September speech at the Council of Foreign 
Relations in which Al Thani called on the Arab countries to 
"make a step" toward Israel through an international meeting 
between the Arab States, Israel and the United States. 
Segev-Steinberg noted that Qatar is the only Arab country 
that has publicly supported the Israeli pull-out of Gaza and 
pushed for engaging with Israel. Qatar has been keen to play 
an increased role in mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict. He 
viewed these comments as positive and indicative of Qatar's 
efforts in that regard. When asked whether the speech would 
change the current status of the Israeli Trade mission in 
Qatar, Segev-Steinberg was more pragmatic. He did not 
anticipate any substantive difference in bilateral 
Qatari-Israeli relations. He observed that while some of the 
top leadership in Qatar may want acceptance of Israeli 
presence in Qatar and the region, they had to balance these 
desires with internal push-pull factors and could not risk 
undermining their own positions given the controversial 
nature of this issue. And it is probably for those very 
reasons, suggested Segev-Steinberg, that there was no mention 
of Al Thani's speech and comments in the Qatari press--unlike 
in Israel--where the foreign minister's speech and comments 
were carried in the papers. 
 
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Wither the Israeli Trade Office? 
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4. (C) Segev-Steinberg, who has been in Doha for two years, 
departs at the end of September and returns to Israel for a 
temporary position as the head of the Asian department at the 
MFA. Segev-Steinberg hopes to be permanently assigned as head 
of the Egyptian department sometime in January of next year. 
According to Segev-Steinberg, the Israeli MFA is in disarray 
as a result of some controversial political appointments. 
With new regulations pending to introduce more transparency 
in the assignment process, many positions have yet to be 
assigned. Also affected is the position of Israeli trade 
representative to Qatar. Segev-Steinberg revealed that this 
position would not be permanently filled for a while due to 
the changes taking places at the MFA and also due to a lack 
of interest on the part of Israeli diplomats to come to 
Qatar. Rather, Israeli officers will rotate monthly to the 
trade office until someone is permanently assigned. The first 
to rotate in October will be Margalit Geva, currently 
director of the Gulf States Department. 
 
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On Internal Qatari Politics..... 
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5. (C) Commenting on internal Qatari politics, 
Segev-Steinberg observed that recent pictures of the Emir's 
wife Sheikha Mozah in New York with a dagger -a symbol of 
power- at her waist were noteworthy and appeared to be 
sending a message of the Sheikha's increasing power. 
Segev-Steinberg noted that the Sheikha was also photographed 
similarly during a recent visit to Rome. Segev-Steinberg also 
weighed in on possible changes to come within the Qatari 
government. Segev-Steinberg opined that recent pictures 
showing the Emir and his daughter (with Sheikha Mozah) at 
UNGA may point to future changes at the MFA. The pictures 
were noteworthy in that the daughter, Sheikha Myassa, was at 
the Emir's side and often preceded the Foreign Minister, 
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani. Sheikha Myassa was 
photographed taking notes throughout the UNGA meetings and 
speaking with various heads of states. Segev-Steinberg 
speculated that the Foreign Minister may slowly be pushed out 
of his position and be replaced by Sheikha Myassa. 
 
6. (C) Should that occur, Segev-Steinberg believed that it 
might lead to some internal conflicts within the ruling 
family. The Foreign Minister is uncle to the Emir and would 
not readily accept this loss of power. Overall, 
Segev-Steinberg viewed these developments as an attempt by 
the Emir to "put things in place" given his ailing health and 
kidney problems. Further, Segev-Steinberg believed that the 
Emir would prefer to step down before forced to do so for 
health reasons. Thus, pushing his children, who support his 
long-term visions for Qatar into key government positions, 
would allow him to do so while at the same time consolidate 
and maintain power. 
MCGEHEE