Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JERUSALEM302
2008-02-15 15:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

NSU BELIEVES EASTERN RING ROAD WILL ISOLATE EAST

Tags:  KWBG PBTS PREL PHUM IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9705
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0302/01 0461526
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151526Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0625
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000302 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: KWBG PBTS PREL PHUM IS
SUBJECT: NSU BELIEVES EASTERN RING ROAD WILL ISOLATE EAST
JERUSALEM

REF: JERUSALEM 00300

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000302

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018
TAGS: KWBG PBTS PREL PHUM IS
SUBJECT: NSU BELIEVES EASTERN RING ROAD WILL ISOLATE EAST
JERUSALEM

REF: JERUSALEM 00300

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


1. (C) Summary. Negotiations Support Unit (NSU) legal
advisor Fuad Hallak told PolOff that the 60-day public review
period for the southern portion of the Jerusalem Eastern Ring
Road began on January 1 and that Palestinians plan to oppose
the expropriation of their land for use in the road. NSU
advisors said the Ring Road severs Palestinian neighborhoods
in East Jerusalem from each other and from the West Bank,
while connecting Israeli settlements to Jerusalem. They said
they fear this will prevent the city from serving as the
future Palestinian capital and consolidate Israeli control
over the area. (Note: An NSU map of the Eastern Ring Road
is available with photographs on the Consulate's classified
website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/jerusalem/ind ex.cfm under the
link to Political Reporting Attachments. End note.) End
Summary.

SOUTHERN EASTERN RING ROAD PLANS IN FINAL REVIEW
-------------- ---


2. (C) PLO NSU legal advisor Fuad Hallak told PolOff on
February 13 that plans for the southern portion of the
Jerusalem Eastern Ring Road -- running from al-Zayyim to Sur
Bahir -- were published in newspapers on January 1, along
with expropriation orders for 1237 dunums (roughly 310 acres)
of privately-owned Palestinian land and demolition orders for
several Palestinian homes. This began a 60-day public review
period before finalizing the plan and starting construction
on this portion of the road, Hallak said. He said
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem intend to oppose the
plan before the expiration of the review period, but he does
not expect the Israeli authorities to change their plans.

PLANNED SOUTHERN PORTION OF RING
ROAD REQUIRES EXPROPRIATION OF LAND
--------------


3. (C) PolOffs accompanied Hallak and NSU Field Officer
Ashraf Khatib on a tour of the planned route of the Eastern
Ring Road on February 13. Construction has not begun on the

southern portion of the road -- from Route 1 to Gilo skirting
the Palestinian neighborhoods of al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, Western
Sawahira, al-Qunbar, Sur Bahir and Um Tuba. PolOffs observed
that this section of the road will follow the route of the
separation barrier on the its western side. Hallak said that
due to the hilly topography, this section will require a
series of tunnels and bridges under and across the
Palestinian areas. The 1237 dunums of land will be
confiscated to build these tunnels and bridges, he said.
Land for the Road around Har Homa was previously expropriated
for use by Har Homa, he said, and was not included in the
January 1 expropriation announcement.

IN OTHER AREAS, RING ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON-GOING
-------------- --


4. (C) Hallak said the Road is intended to give settlers
living east of Jerusalem access to West Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv, bypassing the crowded Jerusalem city center. Israelis
and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem will have access to
the road, while Palestinian West Bankers will not, he said.
PolOffs observed portions of the road currently under
construction in Bayt Hanina (Road 20 on the NSU map).
PolOffs observed a portion of the road, completed but not yet
opened, running between the Palestinian neighborhood of
'Anata and the Israeli military base at Anatot.

PALESTINIAN-USE ROAD PARALLELS RING ROAD
TO THE EAST OF THE SEPARATION BARRIER
--------------


5. (C) PolOffs observed a road for Palestinian use under
construction that will connect Ramallah and the northern West
Bank to Bethlehem and the southern West Bank, bypassing
Jerusalem. This road will skirt the separation barrier on
its eastern side, through Kafr Aqab and Jaba in the north and
through al-'Azariya, Abu Dis and Bayt Sahur in the south.
Hallak said the Palestinian road will consist largely of
extant roads that are narrow and hilly and will not
significantly improve driving conditions for West Bank
Palestinians.

PARALLEL ROADS SEPARATED BY BARRIER
--------------


JERUSALEM 00000302 002 OF 002



6. (C) The Palestinian and Israeli roads run side-by-side
from Hizma south to al-Zayyim. Hallak said that in order to
distance Israeli drivers from 'Anata (Palestinian),the
Israeli road was moved to the eastern side of the Palestinian
road and an 18-foot wall was built between the two roads.
PolOffs observed the wall, and saw that the Palestinian road
passes under the Israeli road through a tunnel at the
junction of the Ring Road and Road 9. A planned tunnel at
the junction of the Ring Road and Road 45 will put the
Palestinian road back on the eastern side of the Israeli
road. (Note: The wall between the roads is separate from
the separation barrier. End note.)

NSU CRITICIZES THE RING ROAD'S EFFECTS
--------------


7. (C) Hallak and Khatib told PolOffs that the Eastern Ring
Road will effectively sever Palestinian neighborhoods in East
Jerusalem from each other, disrupting the fabric of life for
over 250,000 Palestinians. The road will also separate East
Jerusalem from the West Bank, they said, decreasing the
city's viability as a future Palestinian capital.


8. (C) The Road will knit Israeli neighborhoods in East
Jerusalem and surrounding settlements tighter together,
Hallak and Khatib said, adding that this will make these
settlements more attractive and probably increase the settler
population. Palestinians believe that the GoI should not
undertake such ambitious construction until the status of
Jerusalem has been determined through negotiations, Hallak
said.

COMMENT
--------------


9. (C) Unlike the case reported in Ref A regarding land
expropriations in Issawiya and 'Anata, the land to be
expropriated for this section of the Ring Road is in East
Jerusalem, not the West Bank. Nevertheless, the planned
expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land to ease
movement of Israeli settlers will contribute to the deep
skepticism among Palestinians about long-term Israeli
intentions. The plans to create separate but not quite equal
roads for Palestinians east of the barrier will not help
improve public attitudes in the West Bank.

WALLES