DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GOI

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000537

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: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GOI

REF: SECSTATE 18228

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Ambassador Jones delivered demarche points per
reftel to MFA Director General Aaron Abramovitch on February
29 and MOD Pol-Mil Director Amos Gilad on March 3. In
delivering demarche points, the Ambassador emphasized that
Israel should not be taking measures on the ground that
threaten to undermine the process launched at Annapolis and
the credibility of the Abbas-Fayyad government.


2. (C) Subsequent to the Ambassador's discussions with
Abramovitch and Gilad, EconCouns and econoff also discussed
land expropriation and West Bank settlement activities with
Oded Herman, Senior Advisor to Gilad, on March 5. Herman
provided the following information:


3. (C) Land Expropriations:

-- Regarding reports indicating that the GOI was planning on
confiscating 1237 dunams of privately-owned Palestinian land
in East Jerusalem to facilitate construction of part of the
Jerusalem Ring Road, Herman noted that this confiscation is
not for the road. Instead, this land is being confiscated
for construction of a long-planned railway system that will
link Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and consist of five tunnels and
three bridges. Lands on which the railway will be built
would likely be expropriated under eminent domain regardless
of Israeli or Palestinian ownership.

-- Herman acknowledged that military orders to confiscate
lands in the al-Dahiriyah and al Ramadin areas, located in
the southern West Bank, are for construction of the
separation barrier.

-- Herman requested more information to determine the status
of reports of alleged confiscations of 1500 dunams for a road
through E-1 to connect Ma'ale Adumim to Pisgat Ze'ev.


4. (C) Settlement Activity:

-- The MOD is aware of the unauthorized addition of 27 new
caravans at the Eli settlement and 6 new caravans at
Maskiyyot. No decision within the MOD has yet been made on
how to address this unauthorized expansion. MOD plans to
move against illegal outposts will be reported septel.

-- Neither the MOD nor the MOCH (Ministry of Construction
and Housing) have issued permits to build in E-1 beyond what
is needed to support the police station. Herman said that the
newly cleared areas are there to store the contractor's
equipment and extra sand from the building of the police
station.

********************************************* ********************
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