PRIME MINISTER FAYYAD VISITS HEBRON TO CALM LOCAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000358 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, SEMEP, AND IPA; NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR; JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020 TAGS: PGOV KPAL KWBG SCUL KISL IS SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER FAYYAD VISITS HEBRON TO CALM LOCAL TENSIONS OVER ISRAEL'S NATIONAL HERITAGE LISTING; LOW INTENSITY SKIRMISHES REF: A. JERUSALEM 331 ¶B. TEL AVIV 432 Classified By: Consul General Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Following a week of demonstrations in Hebron protesting the Israeli government's decision to include the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs on a list of Israeli national heritage sites, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attended Friday prayers in the Ibrahimi Mosque on February 26, in an attempt to calm tensions in the city. Fayyad described his visit as successful, and noted that it concluded without incident. Post contacts in Hebron reported "low intensity" skirmishes between Palestinian residents and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel throughout the day. By late afternoon, PA-Israeli security coordination and cold, pelting winter rain combined to put a damper on altercations. Tensions remain high among Palestinians and Israeli settlers in Hebron, with Palestinians expressing concerns that the listing would limit access to the Ibrahimi Mosque, and settler activists discussing reprisals against Palestinian protesters. End Summary. FAYYAD'S VISIT TO HEBRON PEACEFUL -------------- ¶2. (U) On February 26, Fayyad attended Friday prayers at Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque, accompanied by senior PA and Fatah officials. His visit followed a week of occasionally violent skirmishes between Palestinian residents and IDF in the course of demonstrations protesting the GOI's February 21 decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs ("Me'arat ha-Machpela," co-located with the Ibrahimi Mosque) on a list of Israeli national heritage sites. Delivering the day's sermon, PA Minister of Religious Affairs and Awaqf Mahmoud al Habash told attendees, "We are obliged to preserve the Islamic holy sites, and also those which are holy to other religious ... we are obliged to defend ourselves against those who attack us, but at the same time we are obliged to be respectful of others regardless of their religious beliefs or race." ¶3. (U) Speaking live on Palestinian TV after prayers concluded, Fayyad called for international rejection of the Israeli government decision, saying this was a "political (decision) that seeks to consider these places as Israeli -- and (they) are not." Fayyad said, "it is our responsibility to create new positive facts on the ground on a daily basis which will bring us closer to our goal" of a Palestinian state. ¶4. (C) Immediately before Friday prayers, Fayyad met with the Hebron governor and security chiefs. Participants in the meeting told Post that Fayyad stressed the need for security forces to remain vigilant and ensure that only peaceful protests took place in the city. According to local sources, the security situation in Hebron remained quiet throughout Fayyad's visit. Hebron resident Dina Ja'bari told PolOff that Fayyad's visit was well-received locally, saying it was "very important to the community that high-profile figures come to show concern and sympathy." Afterwards, Fayyad told the Consul General that he considered his visit "very successful" and "incident-free." He praised both the sermon delivered by Habash -- which highlighted the importance of religious tolerance while criticizing GOI policies -- and the efforts of PA security officials in Hebron. "LOW INTENSITY" SKIRMISHES CONTINUE -------------- ¶5. (C) Shortly after Fayyad departed Hebron, skirmishes resumed in the Abu Sneineh area of Hebron city, as well as along the divider line between the (PA-controlled) H1 and (GOI-controlled) H2 districts, near al-Shalala Street. According to local sources, the IDF responded to rock-throwing Palestinian youths with rubber bullet and tear gas. No serious injuries were reported. The confrontations were the latest in a series of skirmishes (Ref A) since the GOI announcement. "Demonstrations have turned into clashes -- usually, it's a group of youths throwing rocks at the IDF," said Simon Agerberg, Political Advisor to the Temporary International Presence in Hebron. Agerberg said the IDF was responding with tear gas and rubber bullets, but there had been no serious injuries. The clashes were quickly dispersed, he added. ¶6. (C) According to Agerberg, this week's clashes were much less severe than those that occurred just a year before, when Hebron Palestinians demonstrated against IDF combat operations in the Gaza Strip during December 2008 and January ¶2009. "We've seen much, much worse," Agerberg said. He attributed the "low intensity" of the more recent clashes to cold winter rain and thunderstorms in the region, as well as what he perceived as improved coordination between PA security forces and the IDF. "Our Palestinian security contacts said that they have been very happy with IDF coordination in allowing them access to manage the demonstrators," Agerberg told PolOff. HEBRON PALESTINIANS FEAR LOSS OF ACCESS TO IBRAHIMI MOSQUE -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Hebron resident Ja'bari said that her uncle, Zaid al-Ja'bari -- head of the Waqf at Ibrahimi Mosque -- had told her that "for the time being, we don't see any changes to the way the Ibrahimi Mosque is being managed. We read in the news that (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu said that there won't be any changes to Ibrahimi Mosque, so we're are slightly reassured." Note: Ja'bari was referring to comments in the Israeli press attributed to Netanyahu that freedom of worship at the mosque would be maintained, and that the purpose of the decision was to allow for renovation and maintenance of the current status. End Note. ¶8. (C) Ja'bari said that Hebron residents are "concerned about the outcome. They know it always starts off as something little at first, and then, the steps move drastically forward." There would be consequences as a result of the mosque being placed on the (Israeli heritage) list, she predicted. Hebronites were "waiting for the next steps," fearing more restrictions of access to the mosque, prevention of prayers, and mosque closures, she added. HEBRON SETTLERS THREATEN VIOLENT PROTEST -------------- ¶9. (C) David Wilder, spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron, which petitioned the GOI to include the Cave of the Patriarchs in its 2010 "Heritage Plan," told PolOff, "(PA President) Abu Mazen names a street after the murderer of a Jew and the U.S. still backs him. He accused the USG of "trying to prevent the GOI from declaring Hebron a heritage site and fixing it up." Wilder warned of possible violent retaliation against Palestinian demonstrators from Hebron's settler community, saying, "Maybe we will do the same (as the Arabs) and publicize a threat to conduct an intifada in the heart of Hebron." We should act like Arabs," Wilder threatened, "and take whatever steps and do whatever is necessary to ensure our survival." RUBINSTEIN