RESETTLEMENT OF MIGRON'S RESIDENTS MAY COUNTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000220 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/ROSENSTOCK/PECCIA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL IS KPAL KWBG SUBJECT: RESETTLEMENT OF MIGRON'S RESIDENTS MAY COUNTER SETTLEMENT EXPANSION COMMITMENTS Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: On January 23, the State Prosecutor's Office announced that Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Barak will strive within six months to achieve a consensual evacuation of the Migron outpost, whereby these settlers would be relocated to an alternative site. The announcement also noted, however, that the MOD reserved the right to request an extension if the evacuation was not accomplished by the mid-August timeframe. Whether the GOI evacuates Migron within six months or chooses to request an extension from the High Court of Justice (HCJ),it does not question the legal status of Migron and has already acknowledged that the outpost must be evacuated. While we would welcome the GOI's evacuation of Migron -- established after March 2001 -- and consider its dismantlement as part of the GOI's commitment to the USG on outposts, the MOD has told emboffs that these settlers will be relocated to another settlement in the West Bank. We are concerned that the relocation of these families to a West Bank settlement may contradict other GOI commitments on settlement expansion. As the GOI is looking at ways to address Migron's evacuation and relocation of these families, the USG should consider how to respond if the GOI evacuation plan leads to the expansion of other settlements. End summary. -------------- MOD Confirms Report -------------- ¶2. (C) Oded Herman, Senior Advisor to Ministry of Defense (MOD) Pol-Mil Director Amos Gilad, confirmed to EconCouns and Econoff on January 24 reports saying that Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Barak have decided to evacuate the Migron outpost. According to Herman, the MOD is seeking a consensual evacuation of the outpost, whereby these families will be moved to a legally recognized settlement. Depending on the available space and town planning scheme of the chosen location, the families will either move their caravans to the new location or a new neighborhood will be built for them. Presently, the MOD is considering the Adam settlement, located north of Jerusalem on the West Bank side of the barrier, as a possible option for resettlement. (Note: Peace Now's Settlement Watch Coordinator estimates that between 240-300 people live in Migron. End note) -------------- Reserve Right To Request Extension -------------- ¶3. (C) As the GOI acknowledged in December 2006 that Migron's establishment was not authorized by the government and is built on privately-owned Palestinian land, the legal status of Migron is not in dispute. The two remaining issues surrounding Migron are when to dismantle the outpost and whether settlers will do so voluntarily. The MOD will likely request an extension from the HCJ if an agreement with the settlers to voluntarily relocate is not reached by the August timeframe. Since late 2006, the MOD has requested nine extensions from the Court regarding either the immediate evacuation of Migron or providing the Court with an overall outpost evacuation plan. A hearing on Migron is scheduled to be held on February 6. -------------- Comment: -------------- ¶4. (C) Although Migron may not be evacuated immediately, the MOD is looking at ways to address the outpost's dismantlement and relocation of its residents. As the GOI is looking at ways to address Migron's evacuation and relocation of these families, the USG should consider how to respond if the GOI evacuation plan leads to the expansion of other settlements. In previous conversations, Herman has noted that in general, settlers from outposts that the MOD is seeking to evacuate are unwilling to resettle in Green Line Israel or in areas within settlement blocs such as Betar Illit or Modi'in Illit, which are primarily ultra-Orthodox, where existing housing is available. All indications so far show that the MOD will acquiesce to requests by settlers to relocate to other West Bank settlements in exchange for voluntarily dismantling some outposts. While we understand and share the GOI's desire to evacuate Migron and other outposts as peacefully as possible, we are concerned that the relocation of settlers from these sites may portend the construction of new neighborhoods or the expansion of TEL AVIV 00000220 002 OF 002 settlement boundaries that may contradict other GOI commitments to the USG. ********************************************* ******************** 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