MUGHRABI GATE: JERUSALEM MAYOR OPEN TO TALKING,

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000339

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2017
TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE: JERUSALEM MAYOR OPEN TO TALKING,
BUT UNABLE TO HALT EXCAVATIONS

REF: A. JERUSALEM 291

B. JERUSALEM 274

C. JERUSALEM 266

D. JERUSALEM 252

CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: JERUSALEM MAYOR URI LUPOLIANSKI TOLD CONSUL
GENERAL FEBRUARY 16 HE IS WILLING TO MEET WITH MUSLIM LEADERS
TO TRY TO DISPEL THEIR CONCERNS THE MUGHRABI GATE RAMP. HE
NOTED THAT EXCAVATIONS HAVE CONTINUED DESPITE HIS FEBRUARY 12
DECISION TO POSTPONE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW RAMP AT THE GATE
UNTIL THE PLANS HAVE GONE THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS THAT
INCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. FRIDAY PRAYERS AT THE AL AQSA
MOSQUE WERE PEACEFUL FEBRUARY 16, BUT THERE WERE SCATTERED
CLASHES BETWEEN PROTESTERS AND ISRAELI POLICE AROUND EAST
JERUSALEM. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) JERUSALEM MAYOR URI LUPOLIANSKI AND HIS DEPUTY
POLITICAL ADVISOR ELAD HALEVY DISCUSSED TENSIONS SURROUNDING
THE EXCAVATIONS AND PLANNED CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW RAMP AT THE
MUGHRABI GATE WITH THE CONSUL GENERAL ON FEBRUARY 16.
LUPOLIANSKI SAID THAT HE DOES NOT THINK THE EXCAVATIONS CAN
BE POSTPONED, NOW THAT THEY HAVE BEGUN, BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL
DAMAGE TO THE ANTIQUITIES THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE
ELEMENTS. (CONGEN NOTE: IF LEFT EXPOSED, THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REMAINS COULD BE DAMAGED, BUT EXCAVATIONS ARE FREQUENTLY
CONDUCTED IN STAGES, AND THE EXCAVATED AREAS COULD BE COVERED
WITH PLASTIC SHEETING AND DIRT. END NOTE.) LUPOLIANSKI
UNDERSCORED THAT THE DECISION TO CONTINUE OR HALT EXCAVATIONS
BELONGS TO THE ISRAELI ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY AND THE GOI. HE
SAID HE CANNOT MAKE ANY DECISIONS ON THE EXCAVATIONS, WHICH
DO NOT REQUIRE A MUNICIPAL LICENSE.


3. (C) LUPOLIANSKI EXPRESSED APPRECIATION TO THE CONSUL
GENERAL FOR HIS OFFER TO FACILITATE CONTACTS WITH WAQF
ADMINISTRATOR ADNAN HUSSEINI AND OTHER MUSLIM LEADERS IN
JERUSALEM TO RELIEVE TENSIONS SPARKED BY THE EXCAVATIONS. "I
DON'T NEED AN ISRAELI FLAG ON AL AQSA," LUPOLIANSKI SAID. HE
SAID HE IS HAPPY TO MEET WITH HUSSEINI, BUT THAT HUSSEINI HAD
REJECTED A PREVIOUS OFFER TO MEET. (NOTE: HUSSEINI TOLD
POLOFF FEBRUARY 14 THAT HE WILL NOT MEET WITH THE MAYOR WHILE
THE EXCAVATIONS CONTINUE AND PROPOSED THAT THE WAQF BE
ALLOWED TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL EARTHEN RAMP. END NOTE).
LUPOLIANSKI SAID HUSSEINI'S PROPOSAL TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL
RAMP CAN BE SUBMITTED DURING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, BUT THE
NEW RAMP WILL NEED TO MEET SECURITY NEEDS AND PROVIDE
LEGALLY-REQUIRED ACCESS FOR THE HANDICAPPED AND EMERGENCY
MEDICAL WORKERS.


4. (C) COMMENT: IT IS CLEAR THAT LUPOLIANSKI WOULD LIKE TO
DE-FUSE THE SITUATION SURROUNDING THE MUGHRABI GATE RAMP
EXCAVATIONS AND THAT HE IS OPEN TO WORKING WITH LOCAL MUSLIM
LEADERS TO RELIEVE TENSIONS. CONGEN WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE
WAQF. THE MAYOR'S DECISION TO HALT PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF
THE NEW RAMP AND SUBMIT THOSE PLANS TO THE PERMITTING AND
PUBLIC REVIEW PROCESS WAS A GOOD FIRST STEP. HOWEVER,
CONTROL OF THE EXCAVATIONS RESTS EXCLUSIVELY IN THE HANDS OF
THE IAA AND PM OLMERT'S OFFICE. PER REF A, WE CONTINUE TO
BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEFER THE EXCAVATION WORK AND
URGE THAT THIS ISSUE BE EXPLORED WITH THE GOI.

WALLES