SEPARATION BARRIER ROUTE REVISED, BUT PALESTINIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 003635

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWBG IS
SUBJECT: SEPARATION BARRIER ROUTE REVISED, BUT PALESTINIAN
PROBLEMS PERSIST

REF: JERUSALEM 0954

Classified By: Acting Principal Officer Tom Duffy,
per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Following a July 2006 report from the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UNOCHA),Palestinian and NGO contacts have informed ConGen
that despite revisions, the route of the separation barrier
will cut off tens of thousands of Palestinians from
Palestinian-owned land, leave a significant number of
Palestinians in "Seam Zone" areas between the barrier and
the Green Line, and curtail Palestinian access to social
and economic services that they previously relied upon in
Jerusalem. END SUMMARY.

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OCHA REPORT UPDATES
BARRIER PROJECTIONS
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2. (U) According to a July 2006 report from the United
Nations Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA),the total length of the separation barrier has
increased from 670 to 703 km. According to the report:

-- 51 percent (362 km.) of the barrier is completed. The
completed sections extend from the northern West Bank to
the Modiin Illit settlement bloc in the central West Bank
along the Green Line; a section to the north of Jerusalem;
a section between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; and two sections
in the southern West Bank.

-- 13 percent (88 km.) of the barrier is currently under
construction. This includes construction in Immanuel,
Ariel, and Bet Arye in the northern West Bank; around the
northern border of the Modiin Illit settlement bloc in
central West Bank; between Ramallah and Jerusalem; and
immediately south of the Gush Etzion bloc near Bethlehem.

-- 36 percent (253 km.) of planned construction around the
Ariel, Ma'ale Adumim, and Gush Etzion settlement blocs has
not begun.


3. (U) The UN OCHA report indicated that according to the
Israeli Cabinet's April 30, 2006 revisions to the barrier
route:

-- The route will split the Ariel settlement bloc into two
sections: a northern "Immanuel" finger and the southern
"Ariel" finger, with each connected to the Green Line. The
report states that the Ariel and Immanuel "fingers" will
surround more than 25,000 Palestinians on three sides, with
one access route connecting this Palestinian population to
other areas in the West Bank.

-- The revised route of the barrier will be closer to
built-up areas of the Alfe Menashe settlement in the
northern West Bank and Eshkolot in the southern West Bank.

-- The barrier route will encompass fewer olive trees from
Abud and Rantis villages in the central West Bank.

-- The village of Beit Iksa would be removed from the
Jerusalem side of the barrier and placed within the
Biddu/Beit Surik enclave in the West Bank. Most of the
village population has West Bank ID cards.


4. (C) Despite the revisions in the path of the barrier,
OCHA representative Allegra Pacheco told ConGen Poloff that
the separation barrier route will still negatively impact
the surrounding Palestinian population. She noted that the
revised route will sever the Palestinian villages of Deir
Ballut, Rafat and Azzawiya, located due west of Ariel, from
the West Bank. The barrier route will also encircle the
village of Wallaja (pop. 900) and cut the village from
neighboring Bethlehem. According to Pacheco, 60,000
Palestinians would be left in "Seam Zone" areas between the
Green Line and the barrier. This category of Palestinian
residents will require permits to pass through special
gates to access hospitals, schools, jobs and markets in the
West Bank.

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PALESTINIAN ACCESS TO
FARMLAND IMPEDED
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5. (C) PLO Negotiations Support Unit (NSU) Policy Advisor

Khaled Elgindy, citing statistics from the Israeli Ministry
of Defense, the Palestinian Ministry of Planning, and the
United Nations, told ConGen Poloff last month that
revisions to the separation barrier will reduce the amount
of West Bank land located on the western (Israeli) side of
the barrier to 9 percent. He noted, however, that the
number of Palestinians located on the western side of the
barrier will increase from 240,215 to 259,000 (Note: This
number includes Palestinians living in the West Bank and
East Jerusalem. End note.) He also indicated that the
number of Palestinians separated from their farmlands will
increase from 285,617 to 303,000. (see reftel for
discussion of the difficulties facing Palestinian farmers
trying to access land in the Seam Zone). Elgindy noted
that the barrier, road restrictions, checkpoints and
closures have led to a disintegration of the West Bank
economy.

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ROUTE AFFECTS PALESTINIAN
ACCESS TO JERUSALEM
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6. (C) In an August 2 conversation with Poloff, Dana
Alexander, an attorney for the Association of Civil Rights
in Israel (ACRI),emphasized that the revised route of the
separation barrier cuts off thousands of Palestinians from
social services, employment, and family ties in Jerusalem.
She cited the case of a family living in the village of
Suwahra in East Jerusalem. According the Alexander, their
home is within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, but
is on the West Bank side of the revised barrier route.
Because they are on the West Bank side of the barrier, the
family does not hold Jerusalem residency and cannot receive
social services from the municipality. Alexander is
currently petitioning the Israeli Supreme Court to grant
the family Jerusalem residency permits.


7. (U) The full text of the OCHA report is available at:
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/opt/docs/UN/O CHA/OCHABarrier
Proj_6jul06.pdf
DUFFY