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.

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KURTZER