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