http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/11/09TELAVIV2425.html
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FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4098
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 7015
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0652
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002425
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL KWBG JO IS
SUBJECT: SENIOR MFA AND MOD OFFICIALS DESCRIBE COMPLEX
RELATIONS WITH JORDAN
REF: A. TEL AVIV 2234
¶B. TEL AVIV 2227
¶C. AMMAN 2353
¶D. AMMAN 2352
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis G. Moreno, Reason 1.4 (b) (
d)
¶1. (S) Summary. In separate meetings October 28 and 29, MOD
Pol-Mil Director Gilad and MFA Deputy Director General Hadas
described different aspects of Israel's complex relations
with Jordan. Gilad effusively praised security cooperation
with Jordan, calling it the "main pillar" of Israel's
security, although he acknowledged tensions over Jerusalem
and described Israeli-Jordanian ties as "peace with the
regime, not the people." Gilad said he had urged the
Jordanians to moderate their public comments on Israeli
security measures in Jerusalem's Old City. Hadas stressed
that Israel has no intention of undermining Jordan's role in
Jerusalem, and he described quiet cooperation between the
Israel National Police and the Jordanian Waqf in maintaining
order on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. Hadas blamed
Jewish extremists as partly responsible for stirring up
trouble in the Old City, but stressed that the INP are going
to great lengths to avoid exacerbating the situation. Hadas
sharply criticized public statements by Jordanian officials
accusing Israel of tunneling under the Al-Aqsa Mosque, noting
the the GOJ knows perfectly well that Israel has no intention
of harming the Islamic holy places. He described the
situation as Jordan complaining if Israel acts to maintain
order on the Haram, while the Waqf would lose control to
Islamic radicals if Israel did not act. Hadas suggested that
Jordanian Prince Ghazi is prviding King Abdullah with
inaccurate reports abou Israeli actions in Jerusalem. The
King knows Irael will not "set the Mount on fire," but does
ot talk to Israelis directly. Hadas asked the U.S to send
a message to the Jordanians that Israelhas no intention of
changing the status quo on th Haram and that better
cooperation is needed on he Jordanian side. End Summary.
¶2. (S) MOD Pol-Mil Director Amos Gilad, in an October 28
meeting with Deputy Special Envoy Fred Hof and PolCouns,
praised Jordan's security role as "exceptional," and called
Jordan the "pillar" of Israel's security. The GID is very
successful in preventing Jihadi terrorists from launching
attacks against Israel from Jordan. Gilad said he personally
has "great relations" with the Jordanian army commander as
well the GID director. Gilad acknowledged that the
Jordanians have become very angry about Jerusalem, but he
said he has urged them to lower the tone of their rhetoric.
Gilad said the Israel National Police are doing a great job
in maintaining order on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, and
are conducting their operations with great sensitivity, but
the Jordanians cannot admit this publicly. Gilad commented
that with regard to both Jordan and Egypt, Israel has "peace
with the regimes, but not with the people." Gilad concluded
that it was difficult for him to imagine Israel's security
without Jordan.
¶3. (C) MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle East Yacov
Hadas-Handelsman, a former ambassador to Jordan, assured
PolCouns October 29 that Israel has no intention of
undermining Jordan's role in Jerusalem. Hadas-Handelsman
noted, however, that the Jordanians have a much broader
interpretation of Article Nine of the Israel-Jordan peace
treaty, and even sometimes assert a Jordanian right to a role
in the handling of Muslim sites in West Jerusalem, such as
the Mamilla Cemetery, which Hadas-Handelsman insisted falls
under sovereign Israeli control.
¶4. (C) Turning to the disturbances on the Haram
al-Sharif/Temple Mount over the Jewish High Holidays,
Hadas-Handelsman blamed "provocations" by a small group of
Jewish extremists whom "no one in Israel pays any attention
to," for triggering a countering action by members of the
Northern Branch of the Israeli Islamic Movement (refs A and
B), whose leader, Sheikh Raed Saleh, Hadas-Handelsman said is
banned from entering Jordan. He said the Jordanian
Government is well aware that the GOI and INP would not allow
any Jewish extremist assault on the Haram. He described the
situation as one in which Jordan complains if Israel acts to
maintain order, but Jordan will lose control of the Haram if
Israel does not act.
¶5. (C) Hadas-Handelsman said the Jordanian Waqf is in
regular contact with the INP. The Waqf must cope with
efforts by a range of groups, including the Israeli Islamic
Movement, Hamas, the generally non-violent but nonetheless
ideologically extreme Hizb Al-Tahrir, and elements of the
TEL AVIV 00002425 002 OF 002
Palestinian Authority, which are all vying for control of the
Haram. The Waqf frequently asks the INP to help them control
these elements, but then criticizes Israeli actions publicly.
Hadas-Handelsman gave the example of clashes at the Mughrabi
Gate entrance of the Haram on October 25, during which he
said INP actions were carefully coordinated with the Waqf,
which received assurances that the police would not enter the
mosques. As a result, the disturbances were contained with a
minimal number of injured and a few arrests.
Hadas-Handelsman said the MFA was angered by a statement the
same day by Jordanian Information Minister Sharif, who
accused Israel of "fanning the flames" in Jerusalem.
¶6. (C) PolCouns mentioned reports earlier in October that
King Abdullah was considering withdrawing the Jordanian
Ambassador from Israel. Hadas-Handelsman noted that he was
aware of these reports, adding that the Jordanians had said
nothing to the GOI directly, but had instead briefed the U.S.
Ambassador to Jordan, whom they knew would discuss it with
the Israeli Ambassador. Hadas-Handelsman described Prince
Ghazi bin Muhammad, who serves as King Abdullah's adviser on
Islamic affairs, as "increasingly religious" and as someone
who tells the King that Israel is "up to no good" in
Jerusalem. Hadas-Handelsman commented that in his
assessment, King Abdullah knows full well that Israel has no
intention of provoking a crisis in Jerusalem, but the King at
this point is not talking directly to Israelis. He
complained that Jordanian officials are compounding the
problem by publicly asserting that Israel is tunneling under
the Haram in an effort to cause the mosques to collapse.
This kind of rhetoric further poisons Jordanian public
opinion, which the GOJ then cites as the reason for their
need to adopt tough positions against Israel.
¶7. (C) Due to the tenuous nature of the Jordanian-Israeli
political relationship, Hadas-Handelsman said it would be
helpful if the U.S. would convey to the Jordanian leadership
that Israel has no intention of undermining Jordan's role on
the Haram, Israel seeks better dialogue and cooperation with
Jordan on issues of mutual concern, and Israel has no
intention of changing the status quo with Jordan.
Hadas-Handelsman said the INP remains in close contact with
him, adding that the MFA is actively encouraging the INP to
try to accommodate the Waqf whenever possible.
¶8. (S) Comment. Gilad and Hadas-Handelsman appeared to be
describing relations with two different countries. As is
increasingly the case with Egypt as well, the
Jordanian-Israeli security relationship remains robust while
political relations are deeply troubled. At some point, the
security relations will also be affected if the political
ties continue to unravel. Israeli assurances, including a
recent statement by PM Netanyahu denying any Israeli
tunneling under the Haram, appear to fall on deaf ears in
Jordan due to a lack of Jordanian trust in the GOI. We
welcome Embassy Amman's assessment of how a U.S. message
along the lines requested by Hadas-Handelsman would be
received by the Jordanians.
CUNNINGHAM
