PA OFFICIALS BRIEFED ON NEW WEST BANK MEASURES

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000288


NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR
SHAPIRO/PASCUAL; TREASURY FOR PARODI/VINOGRAD/VELTRI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2019
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL ETRD PHUM KWBG IS
SUBJECT: PA OFFICIALS BRIEFED ON NEW WEST BANK MEASURES

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


1. (C) Summary: Palestinian Authority (PA) security
officials have received briefings from the IDF about new
measures to improve conditions in the West Bank. The steps
include incremental access and movement improvements, more
permits for Palestinian VIPs and workers, construction of
additional PA police stations, and broader authority for
local Israeli Defense Force (IDF) commanders to resolve local
problems. PA security chiefs welcomed the measures, but said
they do not significantly change the situation on the ground
or address long-standing requests to restore PA security
control in Area A. End summary.

Access and Movement: Removing Three Roadblocks
-------------- -


2. (C) According to PA security officials who attended recent
briefings, the IDF informed them that three West Bank
roadblocks will be removed in the next few days: Silwad
(northeast of Ramallah),Ras Karkar (west of Ramallah),and
Bani Naim (east of Hebron). Security officials welcomed
removal of the Bani Naim roadblock, saying it will open
access for about 20,000 local residents to Route 60, the West
Bank's main north-south artery. (Note: Removing the
obstacle will save about 50 minutes driving between Bani Naim
and Route 60. End note.) However, they did not view the
other two openings as significant.

Easing Access to Nablus
--------------


3. (C) PA security officials said the GOI announced the
following steps to ease the access regime for Nablus:

-- Effective February 15, West Bank residents over 50 and
medical doctors of any age will be allowed to enter and exit
Nablus in their private vehicles through Huwwara checkpoint
without a permit. (Note: This has been announced twice
before and was expected to go into effect weeks ago. End
note.)

-- Effective February 14, Israeli Arabs will be allowed to
enter Nablus in their own vehicles through any checkpoint,
but must exit through either Awarta or Beit Furik checkpoint
(east of Nablus). (Note: UN and other sources tell
ConGenOffs that this may be limited to Saturdays. End note.)


Additional VIP and Work Permits
--------------


4. (C) PA security officials told PolSpecialist on February
12 that the GOI promised approximately 300 additional VIP-2
permits for senior PA security and other officials. The GOI
also pledged to raise the number of work permits (currently
47,000) for Palestinians in Israel and West Bank settlements.
PA security officials said the GOI also agreed to extend the
validity period of residence permits for Gazans living in the
West Bank from three months to six.

Additional Police Stations Authorized
--------------


5. (C) According to PA security officials, the GOI said it
will permit construction of several new Palestinian police
stations: in Safa and Sinjel (Ramallah area); Tqou and Husan
(Bethlehem area); and Aqraba (Nablus area). The PA officials
said the GOI also agreed to permit expansion of existing
police stations in Obiydiya (Bethlehem area) and Beit Furik
(Nablus area).

Local IDF Commanders Granted More Autonomy
--------------


6. (C) PA security officials said the IDF briefed on plans to
grant broader authority to local commanders to resolve access
and security issues in geographical areas under their
command. The IDF reportedly said local commanders will meet
their PA counterparts to discuss specific problems.

PA Request on Area A not Addressed
--------------


7. (C) PA security officials generally welcomed the new
measures, but said they will not significantly change the
situation on the ground. They also said the IDF failed to
address a long-standing Palestinian request to restore full
PA security control in Area A. They said the request has
been raised repeatedly with IDF commanders, who generally
respond that the issue requires a high-level political
decision.


WALLES