PLANNING FOR MA'ALE ADUMIM/E1 REPORTEDLY CONTINUES

S E C R E T TEL AVIV 002654 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015 TAGS: PREL PBTS KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS SUBJECT: PLANNING FOR MA'ALE ADUMIM/E1 REPORTEDLY CONTINUES REF: A. TEL AVIV 01729 ¶B. JERUSALEM 01634 Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) Consulate General Jerusalem has cleared this cable. ¶1. (S) Summary: The GOI continues its planning for the E1 region of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank. Brigadier General (res) Baruch Spiegel, Ministry of Defense Advisor, in an aside told the DCM on April 20 that "there are very strong interests here in Israel" to move forward with the approval process (see septel),although Israel "has heard the message" from the USG on Ma'ale Adumim. Recent Israeli press reports on April 26 support this: two architectural firms are currently making technical alterations to the plan before it is deposited for public review. Ma'ale Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel told Consulate poloff that "E1 must be built, and the GOI supports our plans. Prime Minister Sharon sees Ma'ale Adumim as an integral part of Israel and greater Jerusalem." End summary. -------------- Moving Forward on the Approval Process -------------- ¶2. (S) The approval process for planning of the E1 region in Ma'ale Adumim is progressing despite USG objections. Brigadier General (res) Baruch Spiegel (strictly protect), Ministry of Defense (MOD) Advisor, told the DCM in an aside on April 20 that the GOI "has heard the message" from the U.S. on Ma'ale Adumim, but said that "there are very strong interests here in Israel" to continue with planning and construction. Lawyer and community activist Danny Seidemann (please protect) told Consulate poloff and Embassy econoff that, based on information he received from the Ma'ale Adumim town-planning office, the approval process is clearly moving along and it could be a matter of a few weeks or months before it is deposited for public review. ¶3. (U) Israeli press has recently reported that work is continuing on the approval process for E1. Ha'aretz on April 26 indicated that the subcommittees of the Higher Planning Council (ref A) are reportedly seeking technical alterations to the plan, and the redrafts are being done by two architectural firms, Yoram Fogel and Amatzia Aharonson. The mayor of Ma'ale Adumim, Benny Kashriel, said the alterations refer to items such as access roads and parking lots. According to press, one of the architectural firms said the Ministry of Construction and Housing (MOCH) is allegedly asking for completion of the alterations. The director of the MOCH Jerusalem District office said that since he had not received instructions to the contrary, work is progressing on the plan. -------------- Is Sharon Behind It? -------------- ¶4. (C) There have been various allegations since the announcement in late March of plans for E1 that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is actively promoting the E1 plan. On April 4, press indicated that he reportedly told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees that Israel should move forward with E1 despite U.S. and Palestinian objections. Per ref B, Kashriel told Consulate poloff on April 18 that "E1 must be built, and the GOI supports our plans. Prime Minister Sharon sees Ma'ale Adumim as an integral part of Israel and greater Jerusalem." Seidemann told Consulate poloff and Embassy econoff on April 26 that an unnamed source in the senior political echelon of the GOI said that there is "a lot of pressure to get it done quickly" from the Prime Minister's Office and the MOD. ********************************************* ******************** 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. ***********