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