MK TALKS OF EXPANDING HEBRON SETTLEMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002077

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SETTLEMENTS
SUBJECT: MK TALKS OF EXPANDING HEBRON SETTLEMENTS

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

This is a joint Embassy Tel Aviv/Consulate General Jerusalem
cable.


1. (C) Summary: Kadima MK Otniel Schneller said on May 26
that the GOI plans to expand settlements in Hebron and
connect them to the Kiryat Arba settlement, all of which
would subsequently be included in the GOI's "realignment"
plan, according to press. Ministry of Defense officials
denied that this report is true, and said that Schneller is
"politicking" because he is "now an MK and he has to say
something." Andrea Recchia of the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) agreed that
Schneller is "posturing." While plans for Hebron's
settlements to grow may not exist, Kiryat Arba settlement
itself appears to be growing. Emad Hamdan, Acting Director
General of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC),
informed poloff and econoff last week that settlers there
recently built a new fence beyond the location of the
original fence bordering the settlement, and are effectively
expanding the settlement and confiscating agricultural land
belonging to Palestinians from Hebron. End note.

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Plans to Expand Hebron-Area Settlements?
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2. (U) Israeli media reported on May 26 that Kadima MK
Otniel Schneller, who is a reported influential advisor on
settlements and is also a settler, said that the GOI plans to
enlarge settlements in Hebron and connect them to the Kiryat
Arba settlement. He added that all of these settlements
would be included in Israel under the GOI's "realignment"
plan. While Schneller stressed that he was not speaking in
an official capacity, an unnamed government source was quoted
as saying that "Israel has always planned to retain the holy
sites in Hebron." Noam Arnon, a spokesman for Hebron's
settler community, also said in the article that former Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon always insisted that Hebron's settler
community would remain a part of Israel's final borders.

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GOI Officials Deny Reports
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3. (C) Brig. Gen. (ret.) Baruch Spiegel, advisor in the
Ministry of Defense (MOD),told Embassy EconCouns on May 30
that he has not heard of any plans to expand settlements in
Hebron. He mentioned that he would try to find out more
information and follow up on May 31. Lt. Col. Oded Herman,
also an advisor in the MOD, told econoff that Schneller is
"politicking" because he is "now an MK and he has to say
something." Herman said that he is not familiar with any
plan to expand settlements in Hebron, and that Schneller is
not speaking on behalf of the GOI. Herman brushed off
Schneller's comments by remarking that "he can say whatever
he wants."

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"Schneller is Posturing"
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4. (C) Andrea Recchia, Hebron field officer for the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
told ConGen poloff on May 30 that he has witnessed no
activities on the ground around Kiryat Arba. He opined that
Schneller's statements about settlement expansion in the
Hebron area were just "political posturing." He added that
settlers have long had the desire to connect Kiryat Arba with
Givat Ha'avot 450 meters to the northwest, and that one of
the outposts Defense Minister Amir Peretz has identified for
evacuation, Havon David, is located in this area.

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But Kiryat Arba May Grow
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5. (C) Emad Hamdan, Acting Director General of the Hebron
Rehabilitation Committee (HRC),however, told poloff and
econoff on May 22 that Kiryat Arba recently built a new fence
between 5 and 50 meters beyond the location of the original
fence bordering the settlement, effectively expanding the
settlement and confiscating agricultural land belonging to
Palestinians from Hebron. (Note: Kiryat Arba borders the H2
area of Hebron to the east. End note.) He explained that
HRC appealed to the Israeli High Court of Justice to have the
new fence removed, and said that while the High Court has not
reached a decision on this case, it has allowed Palestinians
to access their lands between the two fences for now. In the
meantime, the settlers have taken out the old fence and left
the new fence in place, removing any barrier between the
settlers and Palestinians farming their land, according to
Hamdan. He also reported that he has spotted several
caravans around the settlement.

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