SETTLER LEADER SHARES VIEWS ON US POLICY, FUTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001343

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2024
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER IS KPAL KWBG
SUBJECT: SETTLER LEADER SHARES VIEWS ON US POLICY, FUTURE
OF ISRAEL

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


1. (C) Summary and Comment. Radical settler leader Arieh
King called U.S. policy in Jerusalem "anti-Semitic" and
attacked USG officials, including President Obama, during a
meeting with PolOff July 29. He demanded that the ConGen
"stop meddling in domestic Israeli legal issues." He accused
the USG of encouraging "illegal activities" in Jerusalem, and
threatened a lawsuit against the Department. King said that
his long-term vision for Israel includes Jewish immigration
and Arab emigration, leading to Israeli control of the entire
area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. He
said that American "acceptance of Muslims" will lead to the
downfall of the United States, and called Israel the world's
"first line of defense against Islam." King represents a
small but significant ideologically-driven segment of the
settler population. End Summary and Comment.


2. (C) PolOff met with settler leader Arieh King July 29 in
Jerusalem. King, the Chairman of the Israel Land Fund,
described himself as the "owner of a company that helps Jews
living in Arab neighborhoods deal with their problems, and
helps Jews purchase properties from Arabs." The Israel Land
Fund's website says, "The Israel Land Fund is putting the
land of Israel back into the hands of the Jewish people."
King lives in the Ma'ale haZaytim apartment complex, in East
Jerusalem's Ras al-'Amud neighborhood. King is actively
involved in efforts to prove Jewish ownership of land in
Palestinian areas of Jerusalem, including Shaykh Jarrah,
Issawiya, and Kufr Aqab.

ARIEH KING: USG SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS "ANTI-SEMITIC"
-------------- --------------


3. (C) During a meeting on July 29, King told PolOff that he
believes U.S. policy in Jerusalem is more sympathetic to
Palestinians than to Israelis. He called the USG's interest
in East Jerusalem "anti-Semitic and hypocritical," saying
that the USG should work as hard to protect Jews' rights to
their land as it does to protect Arabs' rights. He said that
land ownership in East Jerusalem is a legal matter, not a
political one, and said "American President Hussein and Mrs.
Clinton are uninformed" on these issues. He said American
foreign policy should focus on Iran, North Korea, and China,
rather than wasting effort on "those poor Palestinians who
cry on your shoulder.8


3. (C) King told PolOff that USG support for Palestinians
encourages them to build homes and take possession of Jewish
land in East Jerusalem illegally. He criticized ConGen
officers for meeting Palestinians in East Jerusalem, saying
that the USG does not appear concerned about "Arab
encroachment" into West Jerusalem or Arab construction on
Jews' land in Palestinian neighborhoods, like Kufr Aqab and
Issawiya. King told PolOff that interested American Jewish
parties plan to bring a legal case against all State
Department employees who are involved in supporting illegal
Palestinian activities in East Jerusalem, including the
Secretary of State. He called PM Netanyahu "Israel's weakest
prime minister ever on Jerusalem."

KING'S VISION OF THE FUTURE: A GROWING STATE OF ISRAEL
-------------- --------------


4. (C) King said that his long-term vision for Israel
includes increased Jewish immigration and mass Arab
emigration, to consolidate the Jews' hold on "the land from
the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea." He said he
supports policies that encourage Palestinian migration to
Jordan, but that Palestinians who recognize Israel as a
Jewish state are welcome to stay "for now." Eventually, he
said, the state of Israel will comprise "all the lands that
God promised to the Jews."

KING: ISLAM IS THREAT TO ISRAEL, USA
--------------


5. (C) King referred to President Obama as "President
Hussein" and as a Muslim throughout the conversation. He
said that President Obama's election bodes ill, as it
indicates an "acceptance of Islam" that will ultimately bring
down the United States. He called Israel "the world's first
defense against Islam," and warned in a prophetic tone of
unexpected global events on the horizon that will change the
international arena, putting Israel in a powerful position.
He said Muslims represent a threat to whatever state they
live in, and said the world needs an "Arab solution" to expel
them before they harm the state.


JERUSALEM 00001343 002 OF 002


COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) Arieh King represents a small sector of the settler
movement, but a sector that has a significant impact in
Jerusalem. King and his colleagues are highly motivated and
ideologically driven to defend what they see as a God-given
right to the land of Israel and Jerusalem in particular.
ConGen officers meet with ideological settlers occasionally
to gauge their reaction to U.S. policy firsthand. This was
Post's first formal meeting with King. Post believes King's
comments provide insight into the perspective of this small
but significant element of the settler community.
WALLES