US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV2202

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002202 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR BURNS/SATTERFIELD 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANIN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2014 
TAGS: KPAL, KWBG, PBTS, IS, SETTLEMENTS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: A DAY OF SETBACKS FOR OUTPOST SUPPORTERS 
 
REF: A. TEL AVIV 1946 
 
     B. TEL AVIV 1391 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor Theodore A. Mann for reasons 1.4 (b) 
and (d). 
 
This message has been cleared by ConGen Jerusalem. 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  A day after PM Sharon reiterated his 
commitment to removing unauthorized outposts in Washington, 
outpost activists and supporters woke up on April 15 to the 
news that the GOI had removed a few more sites overnight and 
that the Attorney General ordered some settlement funding 
halted.  In the early morning hours, Israeli border police, 
backed by the IDF, removed two unoccupied outposts, Havat 
Shaqed and Givat Hapiryon.  Later that morning, the Israeli 
AG, Meni Mazuz, ordered the Ministry of Construction and 
Housing to cease all settlement funding until a supervisory 
mechanism is put in place to prevent monies from being 
transferred to outposts.  End summary. 
 
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AG ORDERS FUNDING FOR SETTLEMENTS STOPPED 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Reacting to the contents of a not yet publicly 
released Israeli Comptrollers report, AG Meni Mazuz ordered, 
on April 15, the Ministry of Construction and Housing (MCH) 
to cease all funding to Israeli settlements in the West Bank 
and Gaza Strip.  Mazuz's order was reportedly in response to 
the upcoming Comptrollers Report, which, according to Peace 
Now General Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer (who claims he was 
leaked the report's relevant contents), contains a section on 
the improper flow of money through government ministries to 
unauthorized outposts.  The order received by the MCH also 
reportedly contains a warning to Israeli bureaucrats that the 
misappropriation of funds to support unauthorized activities, 
such as outposts, is a prosecutable offense.  According to 
the press, funding to settlements will be restored once the 
ministry implements a monitoring mechanism, approved by the 
AG's office, that prevents unlawful disbursements to outposts. 
 
3.  (C) Oppenheimer was pleased by the AG's action and called 
attention to what he termed the exasperation reflected in the 
order.  Oppenheimer pointed out that the AG did not tell the 
MCH "to shut down this or that program" that was benefiting 
outposts, but instead ordered the stoppage of all funds to 
settlements.  Oppenheimer opined that the opaque nature of 
settlement and outpost funding forced the AG to use a hammer 
instead of a scalpel.  Oppenheimer claims the Comptroller's 
findings implicate more government ministries than just the 
MCH, but that the MCH's activities were the most apparent. 
In fact, according to the press, the AG sent a copy of the 
order to the other ministries warning them to implement 
similar monitoring mechanisms within their own structures to 
protect themselves from prosecution.  Oppenheimer hopes that 
the AG's action today is the start of greater government 
accountability on settlement spending, but cautioned that "we 
should wait and see." 
 
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Two Outposts Removed, Fight For Two Other Sites Continues 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
4.  (C) The two outposts removed by the Israeli border 
police, Havat Shaqed and Givat Hapiryon, were originally 
ordered removed in December 2003, but court challenges by 
settlers prohibited the GOI from taking action at that time. 
The Israeli High Court of Justice's ruling on March 22 (see 
reftels) rejected the settler's appeal and permitted the GOI 
to undertake removal.  An IDF official confirmed to Embassy 
DAO that the two outposts were removed in the early morning 
hours of April 15.  Havat Shaqed was a small, unoccupied 
outpost located south of the settlement of Yizhar, comprised 
of a small makeshift structure.  Givat Hapiryon (Hill of 
Productivity) is probably what USG settlement experts refer 
to as Havat Maon (Tel Tavani), whose removal was authorized 
by the March 22 decision.  The Border Police removed three 
containers and two bus "skeletons" from the site.  During the 
removals the police arrested seven settlers who hurled stones 
and scuffled with the officers attempting to remove the 
outpost.  One officer was reported to be lightly injured. 
 
5. (U) Settlers succeeded on April 14, yet again, in 
re-establishing two outposts near Hebron, Hazon David and 
Giborim.  The IDF evacuated Hazon David the first time on 
March 31 after the Israeli High Court rejected the settlers' 
last possible legal appeal (reftel).  According to Israeli 
press reports and conversations with a settler activist on 
April 14, the settlers reestablished the site.   "The outpost 
is still there, and we are now making a new one, which will 
be Western Hazon David," Shimon Riklin, a veteran of the 
illegal outpost movement, told PolOff April 14.  "In fact," 
joked Riklin, "there will be three Hazon Davids: the old one, 
the new one, and the army!"  (Note: Riklin meant that the 
army will have to maintain a presence near the site if it 
wants to prevent outpost expansion in the area.  End note.) 
On the morning of April 15, the IDF and Border Police 
returned to dismantle the two outposts and were met by 
significant resistance from outpost supporters. 
 
6. (C)  Settlers and soldiers clashed at the site on April 13 
as well, according to a report in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. 
 The newspaper reported that hundreds of soldiers and 
policemen had arrived at the spot after suspending operations 
in the area over the Passover holiday.  The army closed off 
the entire area, which prevented the Palestinians who own the 
land on which the outpost sits from getting to their 
property, according to Ha'aretz.  (Note:  The IDF has removed 
the outpost eight times since March 31, according to the 
press, but the settlers continue to rebuild the site.  The 
Hebron settlers are known for their resolve on outposts. 
They have rebuilt the Giborim outpost between Hebron and 
Kiryat Arba over 15 times.  End note.) 
 
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