Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV2001
2006-05-22 15:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

GOI APPROVES EXPANSION OF SETTLEMENTS IN WEST BANK

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002001 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI APPROVES EXPANSION OF SETTLEMENTS IN WEST BANK

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b) and

This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem.

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002001

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI APPROVES EXPANSION OF SETTLEMENTS IN WEST BANK

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b) and

This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem.


1. (U) Israeli press reported May 21, that new Defense
Minister Amir Peretz recently approved plans to expand four
settlements in the West Bank. According to the reports,
the decision and legal steps to expand the settlements
began under former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and the
approvals took place within the last few weeks. The four
settlements are:

-- Beitar Illit, southwest of Jerusalem in the Gush Etzion
bloc; will be expanded by 400-500 dunams (100-125 acres).

-- Givat Ze'ev, north of Jerusalem; will be expanded by 60
dunams (15 acres).

-- Oranit, south of Qalqilya; no reports on the size of the
expansion.

-- Maskiyyot, northern Jordan Valley; no reports on the
size of the expansion.


2. (C) Pini Medan, former foreign policy advisor to Prime
Minister Ehud Barak and currently an unofficial advisor to
Peretz, told Pol and Econ Counselors on May 22 that he did
not know how the decision to expand the settlements was
made originally, but added that the GOI probably does not
currently consider it to be a controversial move. He said
that he believes that it is in line with Labor Party
thinking and general Israeli sentiment that these
settlements are in large blocs that will not be "negotiated
away." He noted that Oranit, for instance, straddles the
Green Line, and that no Israeli leader would divide such a
settlement or would prevent such a settlement from
expanding. Instead, he predicted, such territory would be
made part of a land swap that he said would inevitably be
part of any final status agreement.

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