MOD: NO FINAL AGREEMENT REACHED TO EVACUATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 001805

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/PECCIA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL;
JCS FOR GENERAL FRASER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL IS KPAL KWBG
SUBJECT: MOD: NO FINAL AGREEMENT REACHED TO EVACUATE
MIGRON...YET

REF: JERUSALEM 1496

Classified By: EconCouns David Burnett for reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) On August 14, Oded Herman, Senior Advisor to MOD
Pol-Mil Director Amos Gilad, debunked press reports saying
that the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and settlers have reached
an agreement on evacuating the Migron outpost. According to
Herman, the MOD and settler leaders have a general
understanding that Migron will be evacuated, but details have
yet to be finalized. Herman, who has been actively holding
discussions with settler leaders, said that the MOD told the
Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) on August 14 that it
would inform the Court in 30 days where Migron would be
relocated. He explained that this 30-day period was intended
to provide the settlers with additional time to obtain
approvals from rabbis who oppose the outpost's evacuation.
Moreover, the timing and area of Migron's relocation are
predicated on agreements the settlers reach with the rabbis
in these discussions. NOTE: As reported reftel, the settlers'
council has agreed internally to the move. Pending their
selection in 30 days of a new location, the settlers' council
will seek to make the plan an agreement with the MOD. END
NOTE. According to Israeli press, the Committee of Settler
Rabbis has called on settlers to display active resistance to
the evacuation of Migron and has urged soldiers and police to
avoid taking part in the outpost's dismantlement. Herman told
econoff earlier this month that if MOD-settler discussions
were not successful, "it will be war." He further noted,
however, that even if the MOD and the settlers reached a
final decision, Migron would not likely be evacuated for at
least one year. New housing units need to be built before
the settlers would be relocated.


2. (C) Contrary to press reports, Herman said that
discussions on Migron's relocation center on only two
possible locations: land adjacent to the built-up area in
the Adam settlement or land in the Adam industrial area. The
MOD does not want to relocate these settlers to a new area in
the West Bank, which would require new approvals to establish
a new neighborhood. Both of the areas under consideration are
inside Adam's municipal boundaries and are included in Adam's
master plan, and so do not establish a new settlement,
according to Herman. In response to questions on whether the
MOD will fund, build, or compensate relocation of these
settlers, Herman declared, "No way!" Migron, he emphasized,
was illegally established on private Palestinian land.


3. (C) Comment: We welcome Israel's decision to evacuate
Migron and uphold Israeli rule of law, as dictated by the
HCJ. We also recognize, however, that by relocating Migron
and allowing settlers to build additional new housing units
inside the West Bank, Israel is meeting one Roadmap
commitment ( e.g. dismantling post-March 2001 illegal
outpost) by violating another (e.g. expanding settlements).
As there are other illegal outposts established on private
Palestinian land, Israel's evacuation of Migron will set a
precedent in evacuating these types of outposts and will
likely portend new petitions to the HCJ by Peace Now and
other organizations to dismantle these sites. The USG should
consider how to respond if additional GOI outpost evacuations
lead to further settlement expansion that may contradict GOI
commitments to the USG. 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.
********************************************* ********************
MORENO