SEPARATION BARRIER PREVENTS EFRAT FROM EXPANDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001893

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: SEPARATION BARRIER PREVENTS EFRAT FROM EXPANDING
FURTHER


Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Poloff visited Efrat settlement, met with
Mayor Eli Mizrachi, and viewed the route of the separation
barrier north of Bethlehem that cuts off Eitam Hill from
Efrat. The Mayor said his main challenge is finding space
for outward expansion and he wants to see Eitam included in
the settlement. Eitam Hill has been the site of two settler
demonstrations in the last few months. End Summary.

"Things are getting better"
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2. (C) On PolOff's August 21 visit to the Efrat settlement
in the Gush Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem, Mayor Eli
Mizrachi said his main challenge is finding space for outward
expansion. Real estate in Efrat is at a premium, with
several homes worth more than $1 million, and a two or three
bedroom apartment easily costing USD 500,000. The Mayor said
expansion through permanent structures or temporary caravans
requires Israeli MOD permits. They were difficult to obtain
when Amir Peretz was Defense Minister, he said, but "things
are getting better" with Barak at the MOD. Mayor Mizrachi
showed PolOff two outposts that Efrat has established. Tamar
has 25 caravans and a pre-military training school. Dagan
has 20 caravans and provides inexpensive (USD 75/month)
housing mostly for newlyweds. Mizrachi said he hopes to turn
the two caravans into a neighborhood with 800 permanent
structures soon. South of Efrat, there are an additional 20
caravans to accommodate a yeshiva for religious boys.
Mizrachi also showed PolOff blueprints for a country club,
movie theater, lake, dude ranch, and a "pitch and putt" golf
course all inside Efrat.

Protesting the barrier
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3. (C) Mayor Mizrachi showed PolOff Eitam Hill, east of the
outposts and cut off from Efrat by the planned route of the
separation barrier. Note: This area of the barrier is still
under construction. End Note) Mizrachi claims that Eitam was
originally "zoned" for Efrat and would add 40 percent more
land and allow the construction of 2500 homes, if it were
part of the settlement. Settlers have twice in 2007
demonstrated against the separation barrier route at Eitam.
During the second evacuation, religious protesters "prepared"
the land for settlement by proclaiming the establishment of a
synagogue at the site.


4. (U) Background Note: Efrat was established in 1983 and
has some 1500 families (10,000 people). Running 7 km along a
mountain ridge parallel to Route 60 south of Jerusalem, Efrat
has seven neighborhoods each named for the items of the
Passover seder plate. Efrat has its own nine member municipal
council, separate from Gush Etzion's eleven member regional
council. Most Efrat residents commute to work in Jerusalem,
an easy 15 minute drive.
WALLES