SPIEGEL: TALK OF EXPANDING ARIEL AND MA'ALE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 005452 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS SUBJECT: SPIEGEL: TALK OF EXPANDING ARIEL AND MA'ALE ADUMIM ALL POLITICS Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem ¶1. (C) Israeli and Palestinian media reported today, September 6, that Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz approved the construction of 3,000 housing units in Ariel. Israeli officials were quoted as saying that the 3,000 units would be built over the next ten years, and that the population of Ariel would grow from 18,000 to 30,000. Sources from the Prime Minister's Office, however, denied the reports and said that the Defense Minister only approved 117 units. The units were allegedly planned more than ten years ago when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was the Minister of Construction and Housing, but construction was frozen when Yitzhak Rabin was elected Prime Minister. Yediot Aharanoth also reported that tenders for an additional 132 units will be issued later this year. Meanwhile, Education Minister Limor Livnat (Likud) told the press that Israel should ignore U.S. pressure and build houses in the E-1 neighborhood of Ma'ale Adumim. ¶2. (C) Brigadier General (res.) Baruch Spiegel told econoff that these press reports are simply statements by politicians running for office in the upcoming Likud elections. He said that the U.S. should expect many more of these statements in the future, but that for planning and technical purposes, "there are no changes." PLO Chief of Negotiations Affairs Department Sa'eb Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio station that the proposed construction in Ariel is the "Israeli price for the Gaza disengagement." ********************************************* ******************** 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