PLAN FOR POLICE STATION IN E-1 IS READY FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 005257 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SUBJECT: PLAN FOR POLICE STATION IN E-1 IS READY FOR PUBLICATION REF: A. TEL AVIV 01729 ¶B. JERUSALEM 03869 Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem. ¶1. (C) Israeli press reported today, August 25, that the plans for the new Judea and Samaria Police Headquarters, which will be relocated from Ras al-Amud to the E-1 neighborhood of Ma'ale Adumim, are complete and awaiting approval from the Planning Council. Col. Oded Herman of the Ministry of Defense told econoff, however, that the plans have been completely approved -- meaning that the Planning Council and the Minister of Defense have signed off on the project-- and are actually in the municipality's hands ready for publication as part of the public review phase. Herman said that at this point, it is up to the municipality when it wants to publish the plans, and explained that it can publish them tomorrow or a month from now, whenever it chooses. Herman continued that the municipality must publish the plans in one Arabic and one Hebrew newspaper, and that Palestinians will have 60 days to petition the High Court after publication. ¶2. (C) The press reports indicate that the problem of the police station being partly on Palestinian-owned land has been resolved. Per ref A, it was determined in November 2004 that the building was planned on Palestinian land, so construction was stopped. Herman reported today that the problem was the road leading up to the station, and he said that the planning subcommittees have reportedly moved the road so that it is now on state land instead of Palestinian land. ¶3. (C) The plans for the police station were originally part of a larger development that included over 3,500 houses in E-1, as publicized in March 2005, but according to press today, the GOI decided to separate the planning stages of the police station from those of the housing units. In response to econoff's question on why this was the case, Herman replied that it was probably due "to the American pressure" after the reports of the 3,500 houses came out in March. (Note: Ref B reports that the plans for the houses in E-1 have been completed and are awaiting approval from the Defense Minister. Once the Defense Minister gives his approval, the housing plans will be ready for public review, as with the police station. End note.) ¶4. (C) Comment: Given that construction of the police station in E-1 had already started at one point, and was stopped until the issue of the Palestinian-owned land was resolved, it is likely that it will not be long before these new plans go to public review. End comment. ********************************************* ******************** 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. ********************************************* ******************** KURTZER