RACHEL'S TOMB UNDER ISRAELI CONTROL, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002328 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: RACHEL'S TOMB UNDER ISRAELI CONTROL, BUT FLASHPOINT FOR PALESTINIAN DISCONTENT REF: A. 2006 JERUSALEM 04079 ¶B. 2007 JERUSALEM 02205 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. On October 19, PolOffs visited Rachel's Tomb, outside of Bethlehem. The tomb is surrounded by the separation barrier, and access is allowed only from Jerusalem. Rachel's Tomb has been the site of more than fourteen reported security incidents in 2007. A representative of the Rabbi of the Western Wall claimed that 500,000 people -- almost all Jews -- visit the site each year. End Summary. RACHEL'S TOMB UNDER HEAVY SECURITY, A SITE OF CLASHES -------------- ¶2. (C) PolOffs visited Rachel's Tomb outside Bethlehem (the reputed burial site of the biblical matriarch Rachel) on October 19 to observe access procedures and the condition of the tomb. PolOffs observed that Israeli border police control the tomb's entrance and that the road to the tomb is surrounded on all sides by the separation barrier. There is no access to the tomb from Bethlehem. An Israeli border police jeep escorted PolOffs' vehicle to and from the tomb, and two border police officers accompanied PolOffs inside. ¶3. (C) The separation barrier divides the tomb from the adjacent Aida and al-'Aza/Bayt Jabrin refugee camps. The tomb has been the site of numerous, small-scale, Israeli-Palestinian clashes. During the period January-July 2007, fourteen security incidents were reported near Rachel's Tomb, including IEDs, arrests of armed Palestinians, protests, and stone throwing. On October 23, Palestinians marched on Rachel's Tomb to protest Ketziot Prison riots. PRIMARILY JEWISH VISITORS AT THE TOMB -------------- ¶4. (C) A border police officer at the site told PolOff that gates in the barrier leading to Bethlehem remain closed at all times, but Jewish, Muslim and Christian worshipers have access to the tomb via a bus from Jerusalem. PolOffs observed a bus with some fifteen Jews arriving at the tomb. A representative of the Rabbi of the Western Wall told PolOff that 500,000 people visit the site annually of whom 95% are Jewish and the rest "tourists." She noted that Jewish worshipers come daily and particularly on holidays. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Rachel's Tomb is located in the West Bank, but treated as a "special case" under the Interim Agreement. The separation barrier has cut off the tomb from the rest of Bethlehem. The tomb's proximity to two refugee camps, location on the line between Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the heavy Israeli security presence render it a target of Palestinian frustration. Palestinian Muslims and Christians also express concern, because they cannot easily access the site. Traveling from the West Bank, they are required to obtain Israeli permits, enter Jerusalem and continue by bus to the tomb. End Comment. WALLES