INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Israel Welcomes Visit of Staffdel Anderson, May

Published: Fri 23 May 2008 10:38 AM
VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTV #1094/01 1441038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231038Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6811
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 9762
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001094
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR H/EX JENNIFER BUTTE-DAHL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA AMGT ASEC IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL WELCOMES VISIT OF STAFFDEL ANDERSON, MAY
26-28, 2008
REF: (A) STATE 46800 (B) STATE 53923 (C) STATE 54634
1. Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem welcome
the May 26-28 visit of Ms. Wendy Anderson, Mr. Clyde Ellis
and Mr. John O,Brien. Please note that all message traffic
concerning travel to Israel and the Occupied Territories
should be sent to both Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General
Jerusalem. The Embassy visit officer is Political Officer
Alan Holst; phone 972-3-519-7437; fax 972-3-519-7484; cell
972-50-548-1051. The Consulate General visit officer is MEPI
Coordinator Ben Orbach; phone 972-2-622-7259; fax
972-2-624-9462; cell 972-54-808-3149. Embassy visit officer
and Consulate General driver and expeditor will meet the
visitors at the airport. Reservations for single non-smoking
rooms have been made at the King David Hotel located at 23
King David Street, Jerusalem, Israel 94101; Tel:
972-2-620-8888, Fax: 972-2-620-8882, for May 26-27. The
nightly rate is $275, including breakfast, tax and Executive
Lounge privileges.
2. All USG visitors to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank are
responsible for reading this message thoroughly and complying
with its instructions, and are required to comply with U.S.
policy contained in Department of State cable 342724 (100514Z
OCT 90). This classified cable is available for review
through the office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs,
Department of State (NEA/IPA, Room 6247, 202-647-3672). All
official visitors to Israel with secret clearances or higher
should Qview 12 FAM 262.3 prior to arrival. Copies of this
FAM are available in the Regional Security Offices in Tel
Aviv and Jerusalem. Since the opening of a new airport
terminal in November 2004, Israeli security procedures have
been significantly strengthened and formalized. All official
visitors, regardless of rank or means of transportation into
and out of Israel, should expect to be questioned with
respect to their luggage, purchases, and possibly with
respect to their activities during their stay in Israel.
3. Threat assessment: The threat of terrorism and violence
in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is high. There is no
information indicating that this particular visit is
threatened or targeted. Government employees should assume
that they are subjected to technical and physical
surveillance. Visitors should be scrupulous in securing
classified and sensitive information in the Embassy or
Consulate General and assume that any materials left in hotel
rooms or public or semi-private places may be compromised.
4. Travel Policy: In light of the current security
situation, the following measures are in effect for all U.S.
Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem personnel,
as well as all USG official visitors. On the advice of the
Regional Security Officer, exceptions to this policy may be
granted on a case-by-case basis upon approval of the
Ambassador in Tel Aviv or the Consul General in Jerusalem,
respectively.
A) Throughout Israel, travelers are strongly urged to
avoid areas of public gathering or assembly, such as cafes,
malls, restaurants, and movie theaters, esQially during
peak hours of business. Discos and nightclubs are
off-limits.
B) The use of public buses and trains, and their
respective terminals/stations, is prohibited.
C) Travelers must exercise caution when out in public
and should report suspicious activity to the police and RSO
immediately.
D) Official travel into the West Bank is authorized on
a case-by-case basis when determined by the Consul General to
be mission-critical. For limited, personal travel, U.S.
government personnel and family members are permitted to
travel through the West Bank, using only Routes 1 and 90, to
reach the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge or the Dead Sea coast
near Ein Gedi and Masada. Each such transit requires prior
notification to the Consulate General,s security office and
must occur during daylight hours. U.S. Government personnel
and family members are permitted personal travel on Route 443
between Modi,in and Jerusalem during the daylight hours
only.
E) Official and personal travel to the Gaza Strip,
including to Palestinian-controlled portions of
entry/crossing points into the Gaza Strip, remains
prohibited. Under policy guidance issued by the Secretary of
State, the Consul General may grant rare exceptions to this
prohibition only for official, mission-critical travel by the
named special envoys of the President.
F) Jerusalem,s Old City is off-limits during the hours
of darkness, and on Fridays between the hours of 1100-1400
hrs.
G) Travelers to Jerusalem are urged to remain vigilant,
especially while in the commercial and downtown areas of West
Jerusalem and the city center. Israeli security services
report that they continue to receive information of planned
terrorist attacks in and around Jerusalem.
H) Also in Jerusalem, the Tayelit or Haas Promenade
(vehicle overlook) located in Armon Hanatziv and bordering
the Palestinian Village of Abu-Tor is open for USG personnel
during daylight hours only. Both the area below the
Promenade and the village of Abu-Tor remain off-limits. In
addition, due to reported increases in criminal activity,
employees should avoid the outlying villages surrounding East
Jerusalem.
I) Northern Israel/Golan Heights: While there is a
cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the
situation remains tense and a possible resumption of sporadic
violence cannot be ruled out. Visitors to the Golan Heights
should be warned that due to unmarked or poorly marked
minefields, they should walk only on established roads or
trails and pay close attention to warning signs and notices
in the area.
J) Country clearance for official travel to post will be
reviewed on an individual and mission-critical basis. All
TDY visitors at post for more than one week are required to
attend the security newcomer briefing presented by the
Regional Security Office (RSO). Sponsoring offices will
incorporate this briefing into visit schedules as required.
Official visitors here less than one are strongly encouraged
to contact the RSO for the most recent security related
information.
5. It has been longstanding USG policy for Administration
officials not to travel to territories captured by Israel in
the 1967 War (the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and East
Jerusalem) escorted by Government of Israel officials, either
civilian or military. Overflights of these areas have been
permitted in certain circumstances. Security situation
permitting, Administration officials may travel to the West
Bank or Gaza in the company of Consulate General or Embassy
personnel as appropriate. As noted above, however, due to
the October 2003 attack on Embassy personnel in Gaza, all
travel to Gaza has been suspended for the foreseeable future.
The Embassy recommends that Congressional and Staff
delegations follow these USG guidelines when visiting Israel.
6. Embassy support costs: Visitors or their agencies/bureaus
must provide fund cites to cover requested commercial
services such as equipment, supplies, and transportation, as
well as required Embassy/Consulate General overtime. In
order to maintain their traditionally high standards of
visitor support, Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General
Jerusalem generally require an appropriate fund cite to cover
per diem costs of control officers and motorpool personnel
when assigned to visits. If security personnel are required,
the fund cite must cover their expenses as well. The
Embassy/Consulate General will provide estimated costs upon
request.
7. Computer Access: TDY visitors requiring computer network
access should so inform their control officers at least five
days in advance of their arrival in Israel and Jerusalem.
-- SBU systems: Visitors who enjoy access to their home post
SBU computer system via Outlook Web Access, and who have
requested SBU computer access through their visit officer,
will receive logons upon arrival allowing them to access that
system from terminals at the Embassy and Consulate General,
respectively. Visitors who are unsure whether their home
post supports Outlook Web Access should contact their local
systems administrator before commencing travel. Visitors who
do not have access to their home post SBU systems via Outlook
Web Access must provide the Embassy and Consulate General
with the fully qualified domain name and the IP address of
their home e-mail server. That information is necessary for
Embassy and Consulate General personnel to configure the
visitor,s access to his or her home post SBU account, and is
available from the visitor,s home post SBU systems manager.
-- Classified systems: Visitors requesting access to
classified computer systems must provide front-channel
confirmation that they possess at least a
clearance. No access to home post classified e-mail accounts
is possible from either the Embassy or Consulate General.
Accordingly, Embassy and Consulate General information system
personnel will be able to provide only new, separate
classified e-mail accounts accessible only at their
respective posts.
8. Visas: Israel requires visas for holders of diplomatic
and official passports. All personnel visiting Israel on
official business must obtain visas from the nearest Israeli
Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in Israel. Visitors
traveling on tourist passports do not need to obtain a visa
in advance.
JONES
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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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