US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV803

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000803 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KWBG, IS, SETTLEMENTS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTRY DENIES VERACITY OF FEB 8 HA'ARETZ 
ARTICLE ON ILLEGAL OUTPOSTS 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (U) A February 8 article in Ha'aretz quotes a senior 
security official as saying that Israel will evacuate illegal 
outposts in the West Bank only after the implementation of 
the disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip and the northern 
West Bank.  According to the security official, the GOI's 
commitment to the U.S. to evacuate outposts remains in place, 
but attempts to evacuate the outposts now would inflame the 
conflict between the settlers and the government, and could 
hurt the implementation of the disengagement plan.  The 
official also predicted that Washington would not press 
Israel on the issue of outpost removals, noting that 
Secretary Rice did not mention outposts during her meetings 
 
SIPDIS 
with GOI officials on February 6-7.  The article said that 
although the Secretary stressed that evacuating outposts was 
important at her final press conference, she "clearly placed 
higher priority on implementation of disengagement." 
 
2.  (C) Brigadier General (res.) Baruch Spiegel told the 
Ambassador that the article is incorrect and that they do not 
know who the senior security official is who is quoted in the 
article.  The Minister of Defense asked Spiegel to convey to 
the Ambassador confirmation that there is no change in 
Israel's policy with respect to taking down outposts. 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
KURTZER