UPDATE ON WORK AT E-1

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000460 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: UPDATE ON WORK AT E-1 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) INFRASTRUCTURE WORK AND GRADING OF THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE ISRAELI POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS CONTINUING IN THE E-1 AREA BETWEEN MA'ALE ADUMIM AND JERUSALEM. POLOFF OBSERVED ON MARCH 8 TWO ADDITIONAL GRADED AREAS ADJACENT TO THE LARGE GRADED AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE POLICE STATION. (NOTE: THE LARGE GRADED AREA IS THE LOCATION THAT A PALESTINIAN FOREMAN SAID ON DECEMBER 6 WILL BE THE SITE OF A POSSIBLE 600-UNIT HOUSING COMPLEX, THOUGH ISRAELI HUMAN RIGHTS NGO IR AMIM FOUNDER DANNY SEIDEMAN SAID FEBRUARY 8 THAT THE AREA IS LIKELY NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR SUCH A COMPLEX. END NOTE.) ONE OF THE NEW GRADED AREAS IS BEING USED AS A STAGING AREA FOR LARGE WATER PIPES AND CONCRETE SLABS. THE GROUND OF THE OTHER GRADED AREA IS BEING REINFORCED WITH REBAR AND CONCRETE SLABS ARE BEING USED TO CREATE A RETAINING WALL. (NOTE: PHOTOS OF E-1 SENT BY EMAIL TO NEA AND AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV. END NOTE.) ¶2. (C) IN ADDITION TO THE NEW GRADING SINCE POLOFF'S FEBRUARY 8 VISIT, ROAD WIDENING CONTINUES AND THERE ARE NOW SEVERAL ROADS LEADING INTO AND AROUND THE SITE. THE ROAD ABOVE THE SOUTHWESTERN GRADED AREA IS NOW CONNECTED TO AN OLDER ROAD WHICH CONTINUES AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THAT HILL DOWN TO HIGHWAY 1. WALLES