CHECKPOINT NORTH OF HEBRON OPENS WITH STRICT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001508

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2018
TAGS: KWBG PBTS PREL PHUM IS
SUBJECT: CHECKPOINT NORTH OF HEBRON OPENS WITH STRICT
LIMITATIONS; HEBRON MAYOR WANTS MORE

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: Congenoffs observed the Farsh al-Hawa
checkpoint north of Hebron August 13 and verified that it is
open for six hours daily, but only to commercial traffic to
and from the Tarqumiyah crossing with Israel. Hebron Mayor
Khaled Osaily said the limited opening is positive, but the
checkpoint should be open to all traffic, similar to Kvasim
checkpoint south of Hebron. He said he is urging the IDF to
open a third checkpoint inside Hebron to ease traffic flow
and expressed concern over tactics of the Golani Brigade,
which recently took command in Hebron. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Congenoffs visited the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint
between Hebron and Route 35 (the main east-west route between
Hebron and Tarqumiyah crossing into Israel) August 13 and
observed that it was open, with two IDF jeeps and six
soldiers waving trucks through. The soldiers confirmed that
the checkpoint is open from 5 am to 7 am and from 9 am to 1
pm daily and estimated 80-90 trucks pass through per day.
They said the crossing is only open to commercial traffic and
is closed between 7 am and 9 am to facilitate settler
traffic. During a five minute span on August 13, Congenoffs
observed three trucks entering and two trucks leaving Hebron.
Congenoffs observed that trucks are only allowed entry and
exit at Farsh al-Hawa from the west toward Tarqumiyah
crossing. The trucks exiting Hebron at Farsh al-Hawa cannot
proceed east to Route 60 with access to Jerusalem and the
northern West Bank.


3. (C) In an August 13 meeting, Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily
characterized the limited opening of Farsh al-Hawa as "very
important" but said it should be open to both commercial and
private traffic around the clock. He noted the minimal level
of Israeli traffic on Route 35 near Farsh al-Hawa, which
Congenoffs verified August 13. He said the new opening is
designed to channel traffic toward Tarqumiyah crossing but
"dogs, scanners, and four hour delays" at Tarqumiyah do not
promote trade and investment. Most of the region,s
truckers, he noted, use alternate routes to avoid Tarqumiyah.



4. (C) Mayor Osaily praised the May opening of Kvasim
checkpoint next to Hebron's southern Industrial Area, which
allows commercial and private vehicles access directly onto
Route 60. He said that opening has stimulated economic
activity in the southern part of the city. Osaily said he is
pressing the IDF to remove another key roadblock inside
Hebron ("Shalaleh"),which severs main traffic arteries in
the city,s commercial center. (NOTE: The "Shalaleh"
roadblock is a few meters north of the Beit Romano yeshiva
settlement where H1 and H2 are separated by a wall. END NOTE.)


5. (C) Mayor Osaily expressed concern over the aggressive
tactics of the Golani Brigade, which took command of the
Hebron area in July. He said soldiers broke a window in the
Hebron municipality building after being refused entry at 3
am. He said the Golani Brigade, which he claims always sides
with the settlers, has "turned up the heat" unnecessarily in
Hebron.
WALLES