CONSTRUCTION ON BARRIER AND POLICE STATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000649 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: CONSTRUCTION ON BARRIER AND POLICE STATION CONTINUE AT E-1 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: PolOff observed April 6 that construction is active and ongoing on two sections of the separation barrier around the Ma,ale Adumim/E-1 settlement bloc. In addition, grading continues at the E-1 police station. (Note: Photos of the barrier construction and of E-1 sent by email to NEA and AmEmbassy Tel Aviv. End Note.) End Summary. ¶2. (C) Poloff observed active and ongoing construction April 6 on two segments of the separation barrier near the Hizma and Azariyeh checkpoints. These portions of the barrier, if completed as currently planned, will form part of a circle around the Ma,ale Adumim/E-1 settlement bloc, which is east of Jerusalem. Near the Hizma checkpoint, concrete wall is being erected west of the original fencing, which had been placed along the planned route of the barrier. The new section being constructed will add an additional triangle of land east of Anata to the "Israeli" side of the barrier. Substantial clearing of the route of the separation barrier has occurred south of Ma,ale Adumim, and concrete wall is being placed along that route beginning at the Azariyeh checkpoint. ¶3. (C) Infrastructure work and grading of the area adjacent to the Israeli police headquarters continues in the E-1 area between Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem. Poloff observed on March 29 continued grading in two areas adjacent to the large graded area southwest of the police station first observed March 8. The large water pipes and concrete slabs that were staged in one of the new graded areas have been moved. The concrete slabs are being used to continue work on a retaining wall. Reinforcing the ground of the other graded area with rebar continues. ¶4. (C) An Israeli foreman at the site during the March 29 visit refused to allow Poloff inside the construction fence that surrounds the two police station buildings, but did not try to force poloff to leave the general area. Danny Seidemann, founder of the Israeli human rights NGO Ir Amim, told poloff April 4 that he believes the scale of the construction at the police station exceeds the GoI construction permit. ¶5. (C) Comment: Parts of the separation barrier in this area are termed &temporary8 by the GoI, and the High Court of Justice has yet to rule on the final route of the barrier in this area. However, the active construction work on the separation barrier at the northern and southern entrances to Jerusalem suggests the GOI plans to move ahead with barrier construction to encircle the Ma,ale Adumim/E-1 bloc. WALLES