MUGHRABI GATE PLANS ONE STEP CLOSER TO APPROVAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000502 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL JCS FOR LTGEN SELVA PARIS FOR US MISSION TO UNESCO E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2024 TAGS: IS KPAL PGOV PHUM PREL PTER SUBJECT: MUGHRABI GATE PLANS ONE STEP CLOSER TO APPROVAL REF: A. 08 JERUSALEM 1616 ¶B. 08 JERUSALEM 792 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. A senior Jerusalem municipal planning official said that the Israeli National Planning Committee has approved the District Committee's recommendation for plans for the Mughrabi Gate ramp, bringing the ramp one step closer to construction. She said the final steps of the process could take up to six months, longer if the plan is challenged in court. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Israeli National Planning Committee has approved the Jerusalem District Committee's plan for the Mughrabi Gate ramp, according to Osnat Post, head of Jerusalem's Municipal Planning Division. Post told PolOff March 19 that this brings the ramp one step closer to construction. In its decision, she said, the National Committee allowed for some flexibility regarding the height of the ramp and insisted that supporting columns be placed to minimize damage to the archeological remains under the ramp. Both of these recommendations are intended to encourage ramp planners to consult with UNESCO before proceeding, she said. (Note: The original plan envisioned a significantly longer ramp, included Jewish prayer areas in Ottoman ruins, and paid little attention to other archeological remains. The District Committee in 2008 approved a revised plan that shortened the ramp, removed prayer areas, and encouraged the preservation of ruins from all historical periods. The National Committee endorsed the revised plan, but granted some flexibility in the height of the ramp and specified that ramp construction should not damage existing ruins. End note.) ¶3. (C) Post said that the planners are working cautiously and professionally to move this project forward, but actual ramp construction is still several months away. She said the next steps include redrafting the blueprints, publishing the final plan, obtaining police approval, and applying for permits. These steps could take two to six months, according to Post. She said she expects someone to take the issue to court, which could drag the process out longer. ¶4. (C) Comment: When this decision becomes public, it is likely to further enflame Palestinian public opinion, already worked up about home demolitions and settlement expansion. Reaction in Jordan and the wider Muslim world is also likely to be very negative. WALLES