NEW WEST BANK OUTPOSTS AND SETTLEMENT EXPANSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 002287 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC WASHINGTON DC, NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/ROSENSTOCK/MAHER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SUBJECT: NEW WEST BANK OUTPOSTS AND SETTLEMENT EXPANSION Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: On July 23, Peace Now's Settlement Watch Coordinator Hagit Ofran -- who has a track record of accurate reporting -- briefed econoff on three newly discovered outposts in the West Bank, and highlighted recent expansion in existing outposts. As far as we know, Peace Now has not yet disclosed the discovery of two of these outposts. According to Ofran, two of the three outposts near the Ma'on and Susya settlements serve as overlooks to ensure that Palestinians do not approach the settlements' unofficial settlement security zone (SSZ). According to Ofran, these two outposts are manned by "hilltop youth" who "harass" Palestinians who try to cultivate their land inside these SSZs. Ofran additionally noted that the third outpost -- currently used as a yeshiva -- obtains its electricity from the nearby IDF base. In addition to the newly discovered outposts, Ofran also said that a modern sports complex, a swimming pool, and new permanent housing has been built at three existing outposts. Ofran's briefing put the spotlight on continued IDF enabling of the settlers' efforts to sustain and expand settlement growth. End summary. -------------- Susya Outpost -------------- ¶2. (C) Peace Now's Settlement Watch Coordinator Hagit Ofran, a well respected settlement watcher in the NGO community, confirmed to econoff on July 23 that the organization has discovered three new outposts in the West Bank within the last three months. Ofran said that a new outpost near the Susya settlement, located in the southern West Bank, was established approximately two months ago. According to Ofran, this new outpost -- consisting of one tent -- serves as the settlement's overlook and is manned by "hilltop youth," "who harass, spit on, and assault" local Palestinians who seek to cultivate their lands that surround the settlement. This outpost is located north-west of Susya at the following coordinates (UTM 1984): x: 700128, y: 3475264, and is the second established outpost within Susya's immediate vicinity. ¶3. (C) Although the GOI acknowledged in 2001 that the majority of land surrounding Susya is privately-owned Palestinian land, the IDF -- in the absence of formal military orders -- declared a large swath of land adjacent to the settlement as an SSZ, therefore making the area prohibited to Palestinians. Ofran said that the Palestinian landowners are now caught in a "Catch 22" where if they "trespass" on their fields, they may potentially be shot. The IDF's orders are to open fire on any Palestinians who enter the SSZ, and at night, the order is to shoot to kill. However, if privately-owned land lies fallow, untended by its rightful owner for a number of years, it can be deemed "Survey Land" -- one step removed from the category of "Abandoned Land." Ofran noted concern that if this happens, the GOI may claim this land for public use and eventually transfer this area to the settlements, as it has done in many other settlement cases. ¶4. (C) Maps provided to econoff show that this SSZ, if Ofran's findings are authenticated, far exceeds the current footprint of the settlement, extends beyond the settlement's municipal boundaries, and encapsulates the majority of private Palestinian land in this area. Using geospatial mapping software, Ofran calculated that the SSZ increases the size of Susya's footprint from 243 dunams (60 acres) to 3187 dunams (788 acres) -- 13 times the settlement's current size. ¶5. (C) Ofran asserts that the almost daily harassment of local Palestinians and the creation of an unofficial SSZ are part of ongoing attempts by settlers -- with IDF collusion -- to intimidate local Palestinians to abandon their land so that Susya can be territorially linked to the archeological site approximately 1.2 kilometers north (where a third outpost is also located). From the mid 1980s to 2001, the IDF had forcibly evicted the local Palestinian population from their lands surrounding Susya and the archeological site three different times. In 2001, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the IDF's repeated evictions were illegal. -------------- Ma'on East Outpost -------------- TEL AVIV 00002287 002 OF 003 ¶6. (C) According to Ofran, a new outpost east of Ma'on, also located in the southern West Bank, was established on June 21. Similar to the Susya outpost, Ofran was told by the Hebron Christian Peacemakers Team that this outpost -- consisting of one tent, one small water tank, and one container -- is also manned by "hilltop youth" who harass Palestinians from the adjacent village of Tuba from cultivating their land within Ma'on's unofficial and unmarked SSZ. Ofran noted, that after being initially dismissed by the Civil Administration when she reported this new outpost, she subsequently received a call on July 23 from the Civil Administration saying that the settlers had been told that they must evacuate the site within two weeks. The Ma'on East outpost is located at the following coordinates: x: 706400, y: 3477760. -------------- Mitzpe Yosef Outpost -------------- ¶7. (C) Ofran discovered a third outpost about two weeks ago in the northern West Bank, outside of Nablus. Named "Mitzpe Yosef," this outpost -- consisting of a small, prefabricated building -- boasts a view of the Jewish holy site of Joseph's Tomb, located in Nablus. According to Ofran, this site is currently being used as a yeshiva and obtains its electricity from the generator located on the nearby IDF base. Although Ofran noted that commercial overhead imagery indicates a settler presence at the site in 2006, the prefabricated structure has only been there for about one month. Mitzpe Yosef is located in the vicinity of these coordinates: x: 714392, y: 3565741. -------------- --- Illegal Outposts, Sport Complex, and Dormitories -------------- --- ¶8. (C) Commenting on recent construction in outposts, Ofran said that within the last four months, a modern sports complex had been built at the Rechelim West (also known as Nofei Nechamia) outpost, located east of the Ariel settlement. This 13,000 square foot complex includes a soccer field, as well as basketball and tennis courts. Rechelim West also has horse stables. Despite the IDF's evacuation of Rechelim West in October 2002, settlers had returned to the site by February 2003, according to Peace Now's data. ¶9. (C) Ofran also said that the College of Judea and Samaria, located in the Ariel settlement, uses the structures at Rechelim West -- one of the illegal outposts that the GOI has committed to the U.S. to evacuate -- as extra dormitories. According to its website, the College's International Board of Governors is chaired by Moshe Arens, Israel's former Minister of Defense. ¶10. (C) According to Ofran, within the last few months: -- A swimming pool has been built at the Ya'ir Farm outpost, located north of Ariel; and -- Two new caravans were spotted at the Avigail outpost, located along Route 317 in the southern West Bank. Construction was also recently completed on three permanent houses in Avigail. -------------- "Of Course the IDF Knows" -------------- ¶11. (C) When questioned about IDF awareness of ongoing outpost activity in the West Bank, Ofran said, "of course the IDF knows." She explained that while the IDF may not be aware of every caravan or new structure built in the territories, no new outposts are established without, at the very least, the local IDF turning a blind eye to these settler activities. Ofran described a symbiotic relationship between the local IDF, whose tours are usually short-term, and the settlers to the extent that individual soldiers' personal evaluations take into account their relationship with the settlers and their ability to protect them. She also said each settlement's head of security is trained, funded, and armed by the IDF. When new IDF personnel join the local command, the settlers are usually the ones to brief TEL AVIV 00002287 003 OF 003 the IDF on the restrictions on Palestinian movement. Regarding new construction, Ofran assessed that most of the time, the IDF assumes that construction is legal and takes no action unless they have received specific orders from their superiors. However, commenting on press reports stating that the Yishuv Now settler group is planning to establish five new outposts in the West Bank, Ofran surmised that it was unlikely that the IDF would permit Yishuv Now to establish these outposts. Unlike the YESHA Council -- the main settler umbrella organization -- Yishuv Now would not likely try to coordinate their efforts with the IDF and possibly take more radical, and maybe violent, measures to establish these new sites. -------------- Comment: -------------- ¶12. (C) Ofran's report, if accurate, indicates that the establishment of outposts and expansion of existing settlements continues unchecked. In addition, the IDF's apparent cooperation with the settlers is ongoing and troubling. Under present regulations, as explained to emboffs by Brig. Gen. (res.) Baruch Spiegel and Talia Sasson, illegal outposts, when located, can be removed without judicial action within 24 hours of their discovery. In the West Bank, lack of action against new illegal outposts indicate that the IDF, if not acting as the settlers' co-conspirators, are certainly their enablers. Ministry Of Defense (MOD) contacts have indicated to Econcouns that despite public pronouncements that planning is moving forward for outpost removal, no personnel have been assigned within the Ministry to take on this task. Embassy has submitted coordinates and pictures of the new outposts to MOD contacts for clarification on this issue. End comment. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** CRETZ