AZARIYAH: POSSIBLE LAND CONFISCATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000815

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2017
TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: AZARIYAH: POSSIBLE LAND CONFISCATION

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Azariyah Mayor Isam Far'un told PolChief on
April 23 that the route of the separation barrier will divide
the town, east of Jerusalem, from 2000 dunums (about 510
acres) of its municipal land. Of this land, 800 dunums (205
acres) is a hill that the municipality zoned for commercial
growth and had hoped to use to build a hospital, since the
separation barrier has made it difficult to reach hospitals
in Jerusalem. He said the town unsuccessfully appealed the
route of the barrier to retain the full 2000 dunums and is
now submitting a new appeal in the Israeli courts related
only to the 800 dunums. The town's attorney separately told
PolOff May 1 that he is not optimistic about the case. The
Mayor also criticized GOI plans to close the town's access to
Highway 1 (Jerusalem to the Dead Sea),which includes seizing
additional land for a separate Palestinian only road to
Jericho. End Summary.

Mayor: Land Expropriations
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2. (C) Azariyah Mayor Isam Far'un told PolChief on April 23
that the planned route of the separation barrier will
separate Azariyah from 2,000 dunums (510 acres) of town land.
That includes an 800 dunum (200 acre) hill (nine acres of
which King Hussein donated to the Latin Patriarchate) that is
the only remaining land for the town's natural growth.
Far'un said the town hoped to build a hospital on the hill,
since the separation barrier has made it difficult to reach
Jerusalem hospitals. Of the 11,179 dunums (about 2,840
acres) of land belonging to the town before 1967, he noted
that over half was seized for Ma'ale Adumim settlement and,
more recently, construction of the separation barrier.
(Note: map emailed to NEA-IPA. End Note)


3. (C) The Mayor said the GOI also plans to confiscate some
Azariyah land to construct a highway for Palestinian travel
between Azariyah and Jericho. Once that highway is
completed, he believes that the GOI will close the town's
access to Highway 1 (from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea). Far'un
expressed concern that these plans will turn Azariyah into "a
dead corner" further separated from Jerusalem.

Lawyer: Appealing Route of the Barrier (Again)
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4. (C) Walid Zahalqa, an attorney for Azariyah, told Poloff
May 1 that the Israeli court at Bet El has not reached a
decision on the town's request to re-route the separation
barrier so Azariyah retains the 800 dunums of hill. Azariyah
previously appealed to the Israeli courts to reroute the
barrier to retain the full 2,000 dunums, but lost that case,
which went all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court. Zahalqa
said the town presented a strong case for the 800 dunums to
Bet El, including testimony from an Israeli engineer who said
the town needs the hill to sustain itself. However, Zahalqa
said he is not optimistic about winning the case and is
already preparing to appeal to the Israeli High Court of
Justice.

WALLES