EAST JERUSALEM RESIDENTS BLAME SETTLERS FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000234

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2024
TAGS: IS KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER
SUBJECT: EAST JERUSALEM RESIDENTS BLAME SETTLERS FOR
COLLAPSE OF UNRWA SCHOOL FLOOR

REF: A. 08: JERUSALEM 2264

B. 08: JERUSALEM 292

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


1. (C) Summary. On February 1, eight Palestinian girls were
injured when the floor of their classroom in an UNRWA school
in Silwan collapsed. Residents of the area blamed the
collapse on archeological excavations being carried out by
the Elad organization. UNRWA is investigating the cause of
the collapse. An Elad representative denied that excavations
are taking place near the school. End Summary.

SCHOOL FLOOR COLLAPSE LIGHTLY INJURES EIGHT GIRLS
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Eight fifth-grade Palestinian girls were lightly
injured on February 1 when the floor of their classroom in an
UNRWA girls school in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of
Silwan collapsed. According to school director Fathiya
Quttana, fourteen girls fell roughly two meters into an
unused cellar in the school's foundation. She told PolOff
that the floor had not shown signs of stress the day before.
All the girls were released from the hospital by the evening
of February 1.

LOCALS BLAME SETTLERS FOR FLOOR
COLLAPSE; UNRWA INVESTIGATING
--------------


3. (C) UNRWA Director for West Bank Operations Barbara
Shenstone told RefCoord February 2 that the collapse
triggered "an explosive response" from the Silwan community
as rumors spread that the floor had collapsed due to Israeli
excavations in Silwan (ref B). In February 2 conversations
with PolOff, residents criticized the settler organization
Elad and the neighboring City of David archeological park,
which they blamed for general infrastructure problems in
their neighborhood. UNRWA Operations Support Officer Solange
Fontana told PolOff February 2 that UNRWA is investigating.


4. (C) Quttana and Fontana told PolOff that their primary
concern is that the school not close. They said they hope to
reopen the school quickly if the building is structurally
sound. Quttana said the school has generally neutral
relations with the neighboring settlers, but that some girls
complain of mild harassment on the way to and from school.

ELAD SETTLER ASSOCIATION SAYS
DIGGING DID NOT UNDERMINE SCHOOL
--------------


5. (C) Elad representative Doron Spielman told PolOff
February 3 that excavations in the City of David
archeological park are not being conducted near the UNRWA
school and did not undermine the building. He said that Elad
believes UNRWA is strongly biased in favor of the
Palestinians and the results of the UNRWA investigation
should be viewed in this light.

BACKGROUND ON THE SCHOOL
--------------


6. (U) UNRWA has rented the Silwan Girls School from the
Abdo family since the 1950s. The school has between 170 and
200 UNRWA-registered refugee students from around East
Jerusalem, ranging from first to ninth grades. It is located
outside the Old City southeast of Dung Gate. The area is
directly across the street from the southern face of the
Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. The school is surrounded on
two sides by settler homes and the City of David
archeological park.
WALLES