ABOUD VILLAGE: SEPARATION BARRIER, UNEMPLOYMENT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002517 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2017 TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: ABOUD VILLAGE: SEPARATION BARRIER, UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING SHORTAGE Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Father Firas Aridah told ConGenOffs December 4 that the separation barrier near Aboud village is not yet complete, but when finished, the 130 foot-wide fence and ditch barrier will cut off the village from 36 percent of its agricultural land. Aridah said he has been the primary voice on behalf of Aboud's Muslims and Christians since the Israeli High Court rejected residents' 2006 petition to change the separation barrier route. Aridah noted Aboud's increased unemployment and said 34 families have moved to Ramallah seeking work and housing. He also told ConGenOffs the GoI denied the Latin Patriarchate's request to extend his religious worker's visa in November. End Summary. Barrier Cuts Aboud Off from Land and Water -------------- ¶2. (C) On December 4, Father Firas Aridah of the Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady Mother of Sorrows Church told ConGenOffs that the separation barrier along the northern and western edges of Aboud village is not yet complete, but when finished, the 130 foot-wide fence and ditch barrier will cut off the village from 1,100 acres or 36 percent of its agricultural land. Aridah said Ofarim and Bet Arye settlements sit on approximately 500 acres of this land. He noted that in the last three years the IDF destroyed 10,000 olive trees to clear the way for the separation barrier and blocked the main road connecting Aboud to the northern West Bank with large stones and dirt. He also pointed out that the GoI restricts Aboud's use of a nearby aquifer, preventing the drilling of wells to access fresh water beneath the village. Instead, Aboud residents buy water from the Israeli water company Mekorot. Aridah told ConGenOffs that in May 2006, after the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected Aboud residents' petition to revise the route of the barrier, the Aboud municipal council stopped speaking out against the barrier, and only he has continued to represent the 1,670 Muslim and 900 Christian residents. Although a Jordanian citizen, Aridah said, "I'm protecting my people and helping bolster the voice of the Palestinian people." Unemployment and Housing Shortage -------------- ¶3. (C) Aridah noted increasing unemployment in Aboud in the last year, particularly among the younger generation. He said among Aboud's thirteen newly-married couples, only seven could find housing in the area; the other six have not found vacant apartments for rent or been able to obtain GoI building permits. During his four-year tenure in Aboud, Aridah said 34 families have moved to Ramallah in search of housing and employment. Religious Visa Refused by GoI -------------- ¶4. (C) Aridah told ConGenOffs that the GoI had denied the Latin Patriarchate's request to extend his religious worker's visa. "Since November 7, I have been working illegally and I plan to continue to do so until the Israelis issue me a new visa," Aridah said. He added that he believes the GoI refusal is a reaction to his June 30, 2006 testimony before the House Committee on International Relations when he criticized the impact of the separation barrier and settlements on Aboud Christians. WALLES