HOUSING MINISTRY DETAILS MEASURES TO HALT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004294

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2015
TAGS: IS KWBG PBTS PGOV PREL SETTLEMENTS
SUBJECT: HOUSING MINISTRY DETAILS MEASURES TO HALT
CONSTRUCTION IN WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS AND OUTPOSTS

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Dr. Chaim Fialkoff, Senior Deputy Director
General for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of
Construction and Housing (MOCH) provided details on MOCH,s
reported halt in settler construction in the West Bank.
According to Fialkoff, the MOCH halted 51 settler
construction projects--primarily infrastructure and public
facilities--that lacked basic approvals in the West Bank.
Fialkoff also stated that the MOCH was working on recalling
430 caravans allocated to settlements under Effie Eitam,s
tenure as Housing Minister. Fialkoff denied Palestinian
press reports from 20 June saying that the MOCH had made an
announcement inviting bids for the construction of 700 new
housing units in the settlements of Ma,ale Adummim and Betar
Illit. End Summary.

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Attempting to Curb Illegal Construction
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2. (C) On July 4, Dr. Chaim Fialkoff, Senior Deputy Director
General for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of
Construction and Housing (MOCH) provided Econoff
clarification on June 27 Israeli press reports saying that
the MOCH had halted construction in 50 outposts throughout
the West Bank. According to Fialkoff, the MOCH actually
halted 51 settler construction projects in the West Bank that
had lacked the "most basic planning approvals." These
construction projects primarily consisted of infrastructure
work--water, roadwork, and sewage--and public facilities,
mostly nurseries. The projects were halted at approximately
35 sites throughout "Samaria," or the northern West Bank.
When asked by Econoff if the projects curtailed were in
settlements or outposts, Fialkoff did not specify, only
noting that the projects lacked proper approvals.


3. (C) Fialkoff also stated that in the last year, the MOCH
has located 430 caravans in settler sites throughout the West
Bank, which it is now trying to recall. These caravans were
allocated to settlements during Effie Eitam's tenure as
Housing Minister (March 2003-June 2004),but were stopped in
October 2004 by then acting Housing Minister Tzipi Livni.
Fialkoff said that while the MOCH is trying to reclaim these
caravans, the majority of them are occupied.


4. (C) Fialkoff said that these actions were taken in
response to a report issued by the State Comptroller on
illegal settlement construction, prior to the publication of
Talia Sasson,s outpost report in March 2005. According to
Fialkoff, upon the release of the State Comptroller,s
report, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz froze all
allocations for new construction. (Note: The report Fialkoff
was probably referring to was the annual State Comptroller
report released in May 2004 indicating that the MOCH had
funneled approximately $6.5 million USD to illegal settlement
construction between January 2000 and June 2003. The report
stated that of this amount, approximately $4
million went to funding construction projects in outposts.
End Note.)

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Ma'ale Adummim and Betar Illit: No Tenders Issued...Yet
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5. (C) Fialkoff denied Palestinian press reports from June
20 saying that the MOCH has made an announcement inviting
bids for the construction of 700 new housing units in the
settlements of Ma,ale Adummim and Betar Illit. Fialkoff
stated that he would continue to look further into this
matter, saying that "there may have been a miscommunication."
(Note: Housing Minister Isaac Herzog told staffdel Talwar
July 6 that the GOI intends to eventually build 700 new
housing units in Ma'ale Adummim and Betar Illit, but that
this construction had not yet been formally approved by his
Ministry (septel). End note.)


6. (C) In response to Econoff's question on how many tenders
outside the Green Line have been approved but not yet
constructed, Fialkoff said that generally, the MOCH does not
keep a backlog of approved tenders and publishes them "within
months of approval," because they are "based on need."

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