SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK CONTINUES AT NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000120 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2026 TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK CONTINUES AT NEW E-1 POLICE STATION REF: JERUSALEM 4909 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK IS IN THE E-1 AREA BETWEEN MA'ALE ADUMIM AND JERUSALEM. IN A JANUARY 19 VISIT TO THE SITE, POLOFF SAW SIGNIFICANT NEW GRADING IN THE AREA THAT A PALESTINIAN FOREMAN HAD INDICATED ON DECEMBER 6 WILL BE THE LOCATION OF A POSSIBLE 600-UNIT HOUSING COMPLEX AND THAT THE ROAD LEADING TO THE POLICE STATION WAS RE-ROUTED TO CURVE BEHIND AND AROUND THAT GRADED AREA. WORK ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE PRIMARY BUILDING OF THE POLICE STATION HAS NOT PROGRESSED SUBSTANTIALLY. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) WORK IS CONTINUING IN THE E-1 AREA BETWEEN MA'ALE ADUMIM AND JERUSALEM. IN ADDITION TO THE NEW ISRAELI POLICE HEADQUARTERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, POLOFF SAW SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL GRADING ON JANUARY 19 IN THE AREA THAT A PALESTINIAN FOREMAN SAID ON DECEMBER 6 WILL BE THE SITE OF A POSSIBLE 600-UNIT HOUSING COMPLEX. THE ROAD LEADING TO THE POLICE STATION HAS BEEN RE-ROUTED TO CURVE BEHIND AND AROUND THE GRADED AREA AND NOW APPROACHES THE POLICE STATION EAST OF THE ORIGINAL ROAD. THE ORIGINAL ROAD HAS BEEN BULLDOZED AND GRADED AND IS NOW OVER 10 FT. LOWER THAN IT WAS DURING POLOFF'S LAST VISIT. SEVERAL MANHOLES LEADING TO UNDERGROUND PIPING ARE ALSO NOW VISIBLE. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY ON THE GROUND IN E-1 CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK UNDERWAY GOES FAR BEYOND WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR A POLICE STATION. END COMMENT. WALLES