STATUS OF EAST JERUSALEM BUILDING ANNOUNCEMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000304 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2018 TAGS: KWBG PBTS PREL PHUM IS SUBJECT: STATUS OF EAST JERUSALEM BUILDING ANNOUNCEMENTS SINCE ANNAPOLIS REF: JERUSALEM 00303 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In light of numerous press announcements of Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, this telegram details these announcements since the Annapolis meetings and plots each proposal's location on the approval timeline (as "Construction Imminent," "In Approval Process," or "Not Submitted"). Many publicly announced plans are notional and have not been approved or even submitted for approval. END SUMMARY Imminent Construction: Tenders Published -------------- ¶3. (C) On December 4, 2007, the ILA (Israel Land Administration) published a tender for 307 new units in Har Homa/Jabl Abu Ghnaym. The ILA awarded the tender on February ¶13. ¶4. (C) On December 23, 2007, the ILA published a tender for 6 dunams (about 1.5 acres) of land zoned for hotels in Gilo. The tender has not yet been awarded. ¶5. (C) On December 30, 2007, the ILA published a tender for 440 residential units in East Talpiot. The tender has not yet been awarded. In the Approval Process -------------- ¶6. (C) In January 2007, the Jerusalem Municipality announced Har Homa's "Plan C" consisting of 975 residential units. The plan is currently with the regional planning board. The plan will next be approved by a regional board (usually a perfunctory step),and undergo a 60-period for public comment before tenders can be issued for construction contracts. ¶7. (C) On January 24, 2008, the Municipality deposited for public review a plan for 105 units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. The review period will expire on or about March 24, and then be subject to final approval by the Municipal planning board. ¶8. (C) On February 12, 2008, the GOI Minister of Construction and Housing (MOCH) announced the impending issuance of tenders for 750 units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev and 370 units in Har Homa (in addition to those described above). On February 14, Moshe Benzioni, an advisor to Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski, told PolOff that the municipality was "preparing documents" for issuing tenders at both sites, indicating the plans had proceeded through requisite stages of board approval and public review. Not Submitted/No Active Consideration -------------- ¶9. (C) On December 19, 2007, MOCH Minister Ze'ev Boim announced "plans" to build 10,000 residential units in East Jerusalem's Atarot industrial area. This plan has been discussed by the Municipality's planning board but never formally submitted for approval. ¶10. (C) On December 23, 2007, the MOCH budget for 2008 revealed line items for 500 additional units in Har Homa/Jabl Abu Ghnaym. There are no indications that these plans have been filed with the local planning board. ¶11. (C) On January 6, 2008, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski announced an "affordable housing initiative" consisting of plans for 7300 units, 3000 of which were in East Jerusalem. 700 of the East Jerusalem units were part of previously approved and tendered plans (the aforementioned Har Homa and East Talpiot projects). The remainder of Mayor Lupolianski's announced units are included in plans not yet filed with the local planning board. ¶12. (C) On February 12, 2008, Jerusalem City Manager Yair Maayan announced "plans" to build up to 10,000 apartments in Ramot, Ramat Shlomo, Pisgat Ze'ev, Neve Ya'akov, East Talpiot, Har Homa, Gilo, and Givat Hamatos. Of these, only the 4000 units at Givat Hamatos have been officially submitted and are being discussed by the regional planning board. However, Jerusalem lawyer Danny Seidemann told JERUSALEM 00000304 002 OF 002 PolOffs on February 14 that the Givat Hamatos plans are technically problematic, have been in the works for some 15 years and will "likely never gain approval." ¶13. (C) On February 12, 2008, Palestinian press quoted Jerusalem Mayor Lupolianski saying that 31,990 new residential units are planned for East Jerusalem. Among these plans are 150 units on the edge of the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabl al-Muqabir and an unapproved plan for 7,000 units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Ahmad/"Ein Yael." The remainder of the units are included in the cumulative total of plans discussed above, none of which have been approved. Private initiatives -------------- ¶14. (C) In addition to public land plans in East Jerusalem, numerous private initiatives has also made headlines. Private plans require the same local and regional planing board approvals, but do not involve government tenders. These include current construction of 66 residential units in Ras al-Amud on January 15 by a right-wing settler group, and a January 31 press report of 200 units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shaykh Jarrah that another settler group filed with the Municipal planning board. WALLES