Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV3438
2006-08-29 15:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
MOJ PROPOSAL ON ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS MAY UNDERMINE
how-tonull Leza L Olson 08/30/2006 10:39:41 AM From DB/Inbox: Leza L Olson Cable Text: C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 03438 SIPDIS CXTelA: ACTION: ECON INFO: IMO CONS RES POL DCM AMB IPSC ADM SCI AID FCS PD DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: DCM:GCRETZ DRAFTED: ECON:RRUFFER CLEARED: ECON:WWEINSTEIN VZCZCTVI302 OO RUEHC RUEHXK DE RUEHTV #3438 2411535 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 291535Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5962 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 003438
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS
SUBJECT: MOJ PROPOSAL ON ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS MAY UNDERMINE
SASSON RECOMMENDATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 003438
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS
SUBJECT: MOJ PROPOSAL ON ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS MAY UNDERMINE
SASSON RECOMMENDATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Israeli press reported on August 28 that the Ministry
of Justice (MOJ) is preparing a proposal that could undermine
the recommendations made in Talia Sasson's March 2005 report
on illegal outpost activity in the West Bank. According to
Sasson, who was quoted in the article, the MOJ's proposal
would retroactively approve several illegal outposts and
enable them to receive government funding through an
"exceptions committee." It would allow "reasonable and
immediately adjacent" expansions of existing settlements with
approvals only from the local or regional councils, whereas
in the past GOI approval was necessary for any and all
building the West Bank. In addition, the proposal does not
mention evacuating illegal outposts, and replaces Sasson's
list of illegal outposts with a much smaller list. According
to the article, Sasson said that the MOJ proposal sends a
message that there are no consequences to breaking the law
and that the concept of rule of law has no meaning. The MOJ
proposal would also violate the principles of security and
government administration in the territories if the
government cedes approval authority to the regional councils,
and provides public funding for illegal investment in the
West Bank.
2. (C) Yariv Oppenheimer, secretary general of Peace Now,
and Boaz Karni, treasurer of the Economic Cooperation
Foundation, (please protect) both told econoff on August 29
that they are surprised at the MOJ's proposal. Karni
suggested that the implications for outposts activity in the
West Bank might be worse than mentioned in the article, and
said that it is outrageous that the Israeli government is not
acting against illegal outposts.
3. (C) Oppenheimer characterized the proposal as "awful,"
and said that it raises two fundamental questions: what
happens to existing outposts and how does the process by
which the government decides to build in the West Bank
change. He agreed with Sasson's analysis that illegal
outposts are not going to be evacuated, and that some may
even be retroactively approved. He said that the proposal
also changes the way in which the government makes a decision
on building in the West Bank, making it easier because the
entire cabinet will no longer have to vote on where and what
to build. He explained that the proposal suggests a
committee comprised of the prime minister, and defense,
justice, housing, interior, and agriculture ministers as the
only necessary parties to approve construction plans, and
that it removes the Ministry of Defense's "veto" because the
minister's signature is no longer needed for building permits.
4. (C) Comment: We are withholding judgment on determining
whether this constitutes a reneging of commitments to the USG
vis-a-vis illegal outposts until we meet with Talia Sasson
later this week. End comment.
********************************************* ********************
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
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS
SUBJECT: MOJ PROPOSAL ON ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS MAY UNDERMINE
SASSON RECOMMENDATIONS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) Israeli press reported on August 28 that the Ministry
of Justice (MOJ) is preparing a proposal that could undermine
the recommendations made in Talia Sasson's March 2005 report
on illegal outpost activity in the West Bank. According to
Sasson, who was quoted in the article, the MOJ's proposal
would retroactively approve several illegal outposts and
enable them to receive government funding through an
"exceptions committee." It would allow "reasonable and
immediately adjacent" expansions of existing settlements with
approvals only from the local or regional councils, whereas
in the past GOI approval was necessary for any and all
building the West Bank. In addition, the proposal does not
mention evacuating illegal outposts, and replaces Sasson's
list of illegal outposts with a much smaller list. According
to the article, Sasson said that the MOJ proposal sends a
message that there are no consequences to breaking the law
and that the concept of rule of law has no meaning. The MOJ
proposal would also violate the principles of security and
government administration in the territories if the
government cedes approval authority to the regional councils,
and provides public funding for illegal investment in the
West Bank.
2. (C) Yariv Oppenheimer, secretary general of Peace Now,
and Boaz Karni, treasurer of the Economic Cooperation
Foundation, (please protect) both told econoff on August 29
that they are surprised at the MOJ's proposal. Karni
suggested that the implications for outposts activity in the
West Bank might be worse than mentioned in the article, and
said that it is outrageous that the Israeli government is not
acting against illegal outposts.
3. (C) Oppenheimer characterized the proposal as "awful,"
and said that it raises two fundamental questions: what
happens to existing outposts and how does the process by
which the government decides to build in the West Bank
change. He agreed with Sasson's analysis that illegal
outposts are not going to be evacuated, and that some may
even be retroactively approved. He said that the proposal
also changes the way in which the government makes a decision
on building in the West Bank, making it easier because the
entire cabinet will no longer have to vote on where and what
to build. He explained that the proposal suggests a
committee comprised of the prime minister, and defense,
justice, housing, interior, and agriculture ministers as the
only necessary parties to approve construction plans, and
that it removes the Ministry of Defense's "veto" because the
minister's signature is no longer needed for building permits.
4. (C) Comment: We are withholding judgment on determining
whether this constitutes a reneging of commitments to the USG
vis-a-vis illegal outposts until we meet with Talia Sasson
later this week. End comment.
********************************************* ********************
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