MUGHRABI GATE RAMP PLAN PROGRESSING, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002199

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE RAMP PLAN PROGRESSING, BUT
EXCAVATIONS CAUSE WAQF CONCERN

REF: A. JERUSALEM 01570

B. TEL AVIV 02326

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


1. (C) Summary. Jerusalem municipal official Irene Rubin
told PolOff October 19 that the Regional Planning Committee
approved blueprints for a new Mughrabi Gate ramp and there is
now a period of public review during which interested parties
can present objections to the plan. Jerusalem attorney Danny
Seidemann told PolOff that Israeli law requires excavations
await the final approval of the ramp plans and welcomed the
transparency afforded by the public review. Head of the Waqf
Azzam al-Khatib told PolOff that the GoI must coordinate with
the Waqf and protect Muslim ruins. Advisor to Jerusalem's
Mayor Mordechay Levy told PolOff that the Waqf does not have
a voice on this issue. End Summary.

REGIONAL COUNCIL APPROVES DRAFT MUGHRABI
GATE RAMP, PREPARES FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
--------------


2. (C) Director of the Division of City Planning at the
Jerusalem Municipality Irene Rubin told PolOff October 19
that the Regional Planning Council on October 17 or 18
approved for public review the plans for a new ramp leading
to the Mughrabi Gate (reftels). According to Rubin, once the
plans are published, some time in the next two-eight weeks,
interested parties will have a sixty day review period to
present objections. After the review, the Planning Council
will announce final plans for the new ramp. Construction
will not begin until after the review, Rubin said, probably
in January 2008 at the earliest.

EXCAVATIONS THREATEN TO DISRUPT
CALM AT THE MUGHRABI GATE
--------------


3. (C) Jerusalem attorney Danny Seidemann told PolOff that
Israeli law requires that the construction plan be approved
before excavation of a construction site can commence. He
added that renewed excavations at the Mughrabi Gate would be
of questionable legality at this point. Seidemann welcomed
the Regional Planning Committee's approval of the plans for
public review, which he said will lead to a transparent
process for determining the approved plan for the ramp.


4. (C) Azzam al-Khatib, Head of the Waqf, told PolOff 23
October that there are currently no excavations at the
Mughrabi Gate, but the Waqf opposes unilateral GoI actions on
this issue. Excavations at the Mughrabi Gate, he said,
threaten to destroy ruins dating from Muslim periods in order
to uncover Jewish ruins, and the Waqf must participate in the
decision-making process. (Note: PolOff confirmed during
multiple October 14-23 visits that no digging is taking place
at the site. End note.)


5. (C) Mordechay Levy, advisor to Jerusalem Mayor Uri
Lupolianski, told PolOff that neither the Municipality nor
any other GoI body needs to coordinate with the Waqf on the
Mughrabi Gate excavations and ramp. He agreed the
decision-making process must be transparent, but said the
decision belongs to the GoI. The Municipality is not
concerned with the excavations, he said, only with the new
ramp. He added that construction requirements must be
balanced against the desire to preserve the historic layers
of the city.


6. COMMENT: The upcoming public review of the plans will
give concerned parties the opportunity to express their
opinions about the new ramp. However, Jerusalem authorities
indicate no intention to seek input from the Waqf, and the
Waqf will not independently participate in the public review
process. Unless the GoI takes concerted steps to assuage the
concerns of the Waqf - either by explaining or revising the
plans for the ramp - we expect the Waqf and Palestinian
contacts to maintain their suspicion of and opposition to the
plan. End Comment.
WALLES