IDF EASES ACCESS AND MOVEMENT IN THE WEST BANK,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001079

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA, NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR,
TREASURY FOR MOGER, JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019
TAGS: ECON PREL ETRD PHUM PTRD KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF EASES ACCESS AND MOVEMENT IN THE WEST BANK,
BUT MANY OBSTACLES REMAIN

REF: A) JERUSALEM 898 B) JERUSALEM 896 C) JERUSALEM
614 D) JERUSALEM 479 E) JERUSALEM 288

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b),d)


1. (C) Summary: The IDF has taken measures to ease access
and movement around a number of West Bank cities since
February 2009. The IDF's removal of checkpoints and road
obstacles and the easing of restrictions at several manned
checkpoints has directly benefited the Nablus, Qalqiliya,
Ramallah and Jericho areas. In many instances, however,
these measures have been accompanied by other restrictive
actions, e.g. erecting new obstacles or increasing the
frequency of "flying checkpoints" in the same areas. Other
important checkpoints appear to have become more entrenched
through infrastructure upgrades. The overall West Bank road
obstacle count, now 613, is down only slightly. End summary.


Significant Improvements in Some Areas;
New Restrictions in Others
--------------


2. (C) The most significant easings that have occurred since
February include:

-- Removing Bani Naim road obstacles east of Hebron (on/about
February 15),which opened direct access for about 20,000
local residents to Route 60, the West Bank's main north-south
highway, and to Hebron (ref E);
-- Dismantling Beit Iba checkpoint (March 15),which
controlled access to western Nablus. The IDF, however,
constructed a new replacement checkpoint about two kilometers
to the west that is "normally open" (meaning the checkpoint
is manned but soldiers do not generally stop vehicles) (ref
D);
-- Removing two road obstacles west of Nablus (late March)
that had blocked western villages' access to the city center.
The IDF, however, installed new road gates that blocked the
villages' access to Route 60 (ref C);
-- Changing Asira ash-Shamalia checkpoint north of Nablus 24
to "normally open" status 24 hours/day and removing some
infrastructure (June 3) (ref B);
-- Changing Atara checkpoint, which controls a main northern
access route to Ramallah, to "normally open" status June 3
(ref B). Within the last week, however, there have been at
least two "flying checkpoints" on the same route that have
reimposed controls on movement;
-- Removing infrastructure at the Rimonim/At-Tayba partial
checkpoint on a main Ramallah-Jericho road (June 3). IDF
"flying checkpoints" in this area, however, are common (ref
B),and infrastructure upgrades are underway at Yitav
checkpoint about ten kilometers to the east;
-- Changing two checkpoints controlling access to Qalqiliya,
which is surrounded on three sides by the barrier, to
"normally open" status (June 5);
-- Opening and removing most infrastructure at the Jericho
DCO checkpoint (June 14),the southern access road to the
city.

Overall Obstacle Count Holds at Over 600
--------------


3. (SBU) The openings have not significantly reduced the
overall obstacle count in the West Bank. OCHA announced on
June 24 that, after months of discussions, joint field trips,
and detailed cross-checking, OCHA and the IDF Central Command
had come to an agreed obstacle count of 613. This is a
slight reduction from OCHA's February 2009 total (626).
OCHA's overall obstacle count has remained relatively stable
over the past year (up from 607 in May 2008). (Comment:
While the IDF has focussed on easing movement at manned
checkpoints, numerous road gates and other fixed obstacles
continue to impede movement in many areas. End Comment.)

Other Key Checkpoints More Entrenched
--------------


4. (C) While removals and openings have occurred in some
areas, checkpoint infrastructure has become more entrenched
in others. The IDF recently completed, or is in the process
of infrastructure "upgrades" -- e.g., new asphalt, more
traffic lanes and road dividers, new guard booths, etc, -- at
a number of West Bank checkpoints, including:

-- Yitav, which controls a main road between Ramallah and
Jericho (under construction);
-- Enav, which controls the main road to Tulkarem and a major

JERUSALEM 00001079 002 OF 002


commercial crossing terminal at Sha'ar Ephraim (completed in
June);
-- Container/Wadi Nar, which controls the main north-south
road east of Jerusalem (completed in early 2009);
-- Huwwara, the main checkpoint controlling access to
southeast Nablus (new pedestrian facilities completed in
December 2008).

Remaining Priority Obstacles
--------------


5. (C) While the GOI's recent easing of restrictions on
access and movement are significant for the cities of Nablus,
Jericho, Qalqiliya and, to a lesser extent, Ramallah, many
priority obstacles remain. In Hebron area, for example, the
mayor and local businessmen are pressing for removal of key
two road gates, one near Bait Haggay settlement that blocks
the main southern access road to the city, and one (Farsh
al-Hawa) that restricts access from northwestern Hebron to
Route 35, a major east-west highway (ref A). The Jordan
Valley, blocked by four major checkpoints (Yitav/Al Auja,
Ma'ale Efrayim, Hamra, and Tayasir),remains off-limits to
most Palestinians. The Bet El DCO checkpoint and Route 466
road obstacles control Ramallah's eastern access road, and
the main route between Tulkarem and Jenin, Route 585, remains
blocked to Palestinians by the Mevo Dotan checkpoint and
Hermesh settlement road gate. Access from Salfit to
neighboring villages is blocked by a road gate near the Ariel
settlement.


6. (C) At a meeting between IDF officials and PA security
chiefs in Bethlehem on June 24, the IDF reportedly said that
it will open Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus later this
week. Although the infrastructure and soldiers will remain
in place, PA security officials report that the IDF said it
will allow free flow of traffic except in extreme situations.
In the same meeting, the IDF reportedly offered new,
unspecified, improvements around Hebron in the coming weeks.


7. (C) Comment: Overall, the impact of recent steps is
positive, but much more remains to be done to allow
Palestinians to move freely in the West Bank. We believe
that positive reaction by the USG to these steps should be
tailored to encourage further progress.
WALLES