FOURTH NEW WEST BANK OUTPOST FOUND WITHIN THREE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002508 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC WASHINGTON DC, NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/ROSENSTOCK/PECCIA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS SUBJECT: FOURTH NEW WEST BANK OUTPOST FOUND WITHIN THREE MONTHS REF: TEL AVIV 0228 Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Peace Now's Settlement Watch Coordinator Hagit Ofran told econoff that on July 26 she had discovered another new West Bank outpost -- making this the fourth new outpost discovered by Peace Now within the last three months (reftel). According to Ofran, this new outpost, called "Givat Ha'or" (Hilltop of the Light) is a re-established outpost that had been previously evacuated by the IDF in February 2006. Geospatial analysis of commercial imagery indicates that Givat Ha'or is located approximately 150 meters from the District Coordination Office (DCO) checkpoint outside of Beit El, north of Ramallah. Ofran attests, and commercial imagery indicates that this outpost is visible to the naked eye from the DCO checkpoint. As part of the Civil Administration, the DCO is responsible for administering the civilian life of both settlers and Palestinians in the occupied territories. ¶2. (C) According to Ofran, while visiting the site on July 26, two settlers from the nearby settlement of Beit El told Ofran that settlers had re-established Givat Ha'or in mid-June and were currently using the abandoned one-room concrete structure as a synagogue, which they pray at every Saturday. Ofran noted that settlers had put a temporary roof on the structure, brought a couch to the site, and also use an adjacent well as a mikvah. Further up the hill from the site, Ofran noted that settlers planted approximately 20 olive trees and also placed a derelict van at the top of the hill. Givat Ha'or is located at these UTM 1984 coordinates: x: 710526, y:3534048. -------------- DCO Claims Outpost "Not Serious" -------------- ¶3. (C) Despite receiving Ofran's reports, the GOI has yet to take action against this recently established outpost. On the contrary, according to Ofran's accounts, the IDF is facilitating the outpost's continued existence by enabling settlers to regularly frequent, transport items to, and landscape the area. On July 26, upon reporting that settlers had re-established the Givat Ha'or outpost, the DCO's spokesman told Ofran that the establishment of this new outpost was "not serious." Moreover, when attempting to visit the site on August 4, Ofran was stopped by Israeli soldiers from the DCO checkpoint. In response to her queries on settler access to the site, the soldiers told Ofran that the settlers are permitted to visit the outpost every Saturday -- and sometimes midweek -- because they coordinate these visits with, and are escorted by, the IDF. Ofran noted, however, that the IDF likely escorts the settlers to protect them from any potential violence that could ensue with Palestinians from the adjacent village of Baytin. -------------- Comment: -------------- ¶4. (C) As we noted in reftel, without orders to the contrary, the IDF will not act to impede or remove illegal outposts although they are in plain sight. However, the IDF will continue to carry out its orders to safeguard the well-being of the settlers, which conveys implicit protection for illegal activities. 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. ********************************************* ******************** JONES