Cablegate: Unsyg in Jerusalem March 24-26

VZCZCXYZ0028
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTVA #0763 0721534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE1002 0721609
O 131534Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000763

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UN IS
SUBJECT: UNSYG IN JERUSALEM MARCH 24-26

REF: A) USUN NEW YORK 0183 B) TEL AVIV 0679

1. (SBU) AS REPORTED REFTELS, UNSYG BAN KI-MOON WILL TRAVEL
TO JERUSALEM AT THE END OF MARCH FOR MEETINGS WITH UN STAFF,
AS WELL AS ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS. ACCORDING TO THE
UN OFFICER PLANNING THE TRIP, THE UNSYG IS SCHEDULED TO
ARRIVE AT BEN GURION AIRPORT LATE ON MARCH 24. UN OFFICIALS
NOTED THAT THE ISRAELI MFA HAD RAISED VIGOROUS OBJECTIONS TO
THE ARRIVAL TIME, WHICH IS ON A SATURDAY EVENING 30 MINUTES
AFTER THE END OF THE JEWISH SABBATH.

2. (SBU) THE UNSYG WILL MEET WITH LOCAL UN STAFF AND TRAVEL
TO RAMALLAH TO SEE PRESIDENT ABBAS AND OTHER PALESTINIANS ON
MARCH 25. HE WILL MEET WITH PM OLMERT, FM LIVNI, VICE PM
PERES, KNESSET SPEAKER ITZIK, AND POSSIBLY DEFMIN PERETZ ON
MARCH 26. THE MFA HAS ALSO PLANNED A VISIT TO YAD VASHEM AND
SHORT MEETINGS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE THREE ISRAELI
SOLDIERS ABDUCTED NEAR THE GAZA AND LEBANESE BORDERS LAST
SUMMER. THE UNSYG WILL DEPART EARLY JUNE 27, PROBABLY FOR A
SHORT STOP IN JORDAN BEFORE CONTINUING TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR
THE ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT.

3. (SBU) UN OFFICIALS NOTED THAT THEY HAD READ PRESS REPORTS
ABOUT A VISIT TO THE REGION BY SECRETARY RICE IN THE SAME
TIME FRAME. THE UNSYG'S PARTY HAS REQUESTED OVER 15 ROOMS IN
THE DAVID CITADEL HOTEL IN JERUSALEM FOR THE DURATION OF THE
VISIT.

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VISIT EMBASSY TEL AVIV'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/NEA/TELAVIV

YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THIS SITE THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S
CLASSIFIED SIPRNET WEBSITE.
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JONES

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