GOI ISSUES TENDERS TO BUILD IN HAR ADAR AND QARNEI

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 006425 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SUBJECT: GOI ISSUES TENDERS TO BUILD IN HAR ADAR AND QARNEI SHOMROM SETTLEMENTS This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem. ¶1. (U) Press reported today, November 9, that the Israel Lands Authority issued a tender for 80 plots to construct single-family houses in Har Adar settlement, northwest of Jerusalem. According to the tender, which was published in Yediot Aharanot, the plots of land will be from 501 to 833 square meters, although most plots are in the 500-square meter range. The plots can be leased for 98 years, with an option to extend for an additional 98 years, and will cost a minimum of NIS100,000, approximately $22,000. The houses will be privately financed by the residents, and the tender states that the expenditure for development will be NIS391,000-521,000, or $87,000-116,000, depending on the size of the plot. Buyers must bid by December 18. (Note: The relatively cheap price for a large house and its proximity to Jerusalem make Har Adar settlement a desirable location. The Central Bureau of Statistics reported this month that Har Adar experienced a growth rate of 9.2 percent in the first nine months of the year. Post will report septel on these population statistics. End note.) ¶2. (U) In addition, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) issued a tender in Globes for the construction of a park "in memory of those who have fallen" in Qarnei Shomrom settlement in the Ariel bloc. The JNF will provide a tour of the area on November 15, and bids are due on November 22. ********************************************* ******************** 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. ********************************************* ******************** JONES