IDF BLOCKS HOMESH ENTRANCES, BUT ALLOWS SETTLERS

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001569 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KWBG IS PBTS SUBJECT: IDF BLOCKS HOMESH ENTRANCES, BUT ALLOWS SETTLERS TO CONTINUE GATHERING AT FORMER SETTLEMENT ¶1. (SBU) Israeli settlers continue to gather at the site of the former Northern West Bank settlement of Homesh, dismantled as part of the Disengagement plan in August 2005. Several thousand settlers have visited the site or stayed overnight since the July 24-25 Tisha B'Av holiday, commemorating destruction of the First and Second Temples. Despite standing military orders that forbid Israelis from visiting the former settlement, the IDF is allowing settlers to remain in the area if they are not creating a disturbance. ¶2. (SBU) PolOffs visited the site, northwest of Nablus, on July 27, encountering two settler families picnicking on the ruins and a large IDF presence. The IDF patrol prevented ConGen vehicles from fully exploring the area, saying it is a closed military zone. There are no evident caravan trailers or construction materials at the site. The only remaining structure is the settlement's water tower, which settlers have painted bright orange. ¶3. (SBU) PolOffs also visited former Sa Nur settlement, also dismantled in August 2005. Sa Nur is abandoned, with all structures except the central "artists' colony" courtyard demolished. The central courtyard has been stripped of all fixtures and is uninhabited. There are no reports of current settler activity at Sa Nur or Kadim and Ganim, the other West Bank settlements removed as part of the 2005 Disengagement. WALLES