FORMER CIVIL ADMINISTRATION HEAD RECOUNTS PRESSURE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001042 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/ROSENSTOCK/PECCIA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL; JCS FOR GENERAL FRASER E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL IS KPAL KWBG SUBJECT: FORMER CIVIL ADMINISTRATION HEAD RECOUNTS PRESSURE TO APPROVE E-1 REF: TEL AVIV 01013 Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (S) Summary: With the ongoing transfer of the West Bank police headquarters from Ras al-Amud (East Jerusalem) to E-1 (West Bank),there has been much speculation on whether the headquarters at E-1 was legally established (reftel). On May 13, Brigadier General (ret.) Ilan Paz, head of the West Bank Civil Administration from 2002-2005, confirmed to econoff that the police headquarters and accompanying road from Route 1 were legally built in compliance with Israeli law. According to Paz, although infrastructure construction commenced illegally at E-1 in mid-2004, plans for this construction were legally approved after he left the Civil Administration in July 2005. Paz recounted to econoff being repeatedly pressured by then Prime Minster Ariel Sharon and former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to approve E-1's construction from 2004-2005, saying that it was in Israel's "national security interest" to build up this area. End summary. -------------- Pressure to Build, Although Illegal -------------- ¶2. (S) Although he served as the head of the West Bank Civil Administration from 2002-2005, Paz told econoff that he did not have to deal with E-1 for much of his tenure due to US sensitivities to building at this site. In mid-2004, however, Paz learned -- by reading a Washington Post article -- that construction for a police station and an accompanying road was underway at E-1. After verifying that construction had illegally commenced based on approvals granted by Ma'ale Adumim's municipal council, Paz subsequently ordered a halt to the construction. Despite Ma'ale Adumim municipal council's approval of E-1 building plans, the municipality did not obtain permission from the regional planning commission for Judea and Samaria, an organ of the Civil Administration. The regional planning commission must approve a town's planning scheme before building permits are issued and construction can commence. ¶3. (S) Although some portions of the road and planned construction were located on private Palestinian land, Paz says that then-Prime Minister Sharon and then-Defense �0A;Minister Mofaz (currently Israel's Minister of Transportation) pressured him to approve construction of the neighborhood and police station at E-1, saying that it was in Israel's "national security interest." Paz recounted to econoff instances when Mofaz publicly chastised him for not approving the plans and said that for more than a year, he received letters on a monthly basis from Mofaz asking if he had approved the construction plans. -------------- Police Station and Road Subsequently Approved -------------- ¶4. (S) Paz confirmed to econoff that plans to build the police station were approved after he left the Civil Administration in July 2005. The regional planning commission found that it could approve the halted construction of the police station and road if it split E-1's planning scheme into two separate plans, said Paz. Two new separate plans were subsequently submitted to the Civil Administration -- one for the neighborhood, and another for the police station and road. These new submissions enabled construction to proceed on state land instead of private Palestinian land. While in 2005 the Civil Administration approved plans to build the road and the police station, the plans for the neighborhood were temporarily shelved, according to Paz. In response to econoff's questions on how the E-1 police station was financed or the fate of the Ras al-Amud building, Paz said he did not know who financed construction of the police station at E-1. He had heard rumors that settlers were supposed to take over the Ras al-Amud building once it was vacated, but noted that he did not have nor has seen any information substantiating these claims. -------------- What About the Residential Units? -------------- ¶5. (S) On May 16, Jerusalem lawyer Danny Seidemann told econoff that he has not seen any indication that the GOI is TEL AVIV 00001042 002 OF 002 pushing forward plans to build at E-1, further than the police station, road, and current infrastructure that has been built at the site. An approved master plan exists for construction of the neighborhood and commercial center, but he does not believe that this construction will be allowed to go ahead under this current Israeli government. Plans for E-1 include the construction of 3,500 housing units, 10 hotels, and a commercial center. -------------- Who is Ilan Paz? -------------- ¶6. (S) Brigadier General (ret.) Ilan Paz is a retired high-ranking IDF officer with broad expertise derived from 28 years of varied military service. From 1978 to 1995, he served in the Naval Commando (Navy Seals),rising to the rank of Deputy Commander of the IDF branch. Paz then became the West Bank Territorial Brigades Commander from 1996 to 2002. From 2002 to 2005, Paz held the position of Head of the Civil Administration in the West Bank. He is currently a senior strategic consultant to the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF),as well as several NGOS, think tanks, and academic institutions. ********************************************* ******************** 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