EREKAT DENOUNCES ISRAELI PLAN TO REVOKE JERUSALEM

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 002223 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG KPAL KDEM IS SUBJECT: EREKAT DENOUNCES ISRAELI PLAN TO REVOKE JERUSALEM RESIDENCY STATUS OF HAMAS PLC MEMBERS ¶1. (SBU) PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat June 1 faxed to the ConGen a letter addressed to NEA A/S Welch criticizing statements by Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On, published in the Israeli media on May 30, threatening to revoke the residency status of three Hamas PLC members from Jerusalem and the PA Minister for Jerusalem Affairs unless they publicly renounced their Hamas membership. Israeli Police reportedly delivered a letter giving them two months to resign or face action from the GOI. ¶2. (SBU) Begin text. Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestinian Authority Negotiations Affairs Department His Excellency Ambassador David Welch Assistant Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Dear Excellency: I am writing in response to the Israeli Government decision to deport from East Jerusalem members of the elected Legislative Council Mr. Muhammad Abu Tir, Muhammad Totah, Ahmad Attun, and Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Mr. Khaled Abu Arafah and strip them of their identity cards (residence in East Jerusalem). We believe that this act constitutes not only a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Conventions, but also of the agreements signed between the PLO and the Government of Israel, namely the agreement on elections (including East Jerusalem) which were held in 1996 and 2006 in cooperation with the Israeli Government. We urge your Government's direct intervention to stop this Israeli illegal action, because if it is carried out it will be a real threat to all 300,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem. Sincerely Yours, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat Chief Palestinian Negotiator NAD-PLO End text. Stevens