US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2538

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002538 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KWBG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT 
SUBJECT: BASSEY SUGGESTS POSTPONING DISENGAGEMENT 
 
 
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Yonatan Bassey of the Disengagement 
Authority (SELA) said on April 18 that it was his idea to 
postpone disengagement until after Tisha B'Av because the 
timing would be better for religious reasons.  He noted that 
the settlers have been more responsive to SELA in the past 
two or three weeks, and that even residents from Netzarim are 
quietly talking to him.  Bassey continued that two-thirds of 
the settlers will eventually live in the area around 
Ashkelon, but the protected dunes there will not be damaged. 
He said that someone should buy the settlers' greenhouse 
equipment because they have started investing in new 
greenhouses outside the Gaza Strip, and will take their 
equipment with them.  He suggested that if the U.S. wants to 
help Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with disengagement, the USG 
should focus on helping the settlers by freeing Jonathan 
Pollard because Pollard is very important to them.  End 
summary. 
 
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Postponing Disengagement 
------------------------ 
 
2.  (C) Yonatan Bassey, Director of the Disengagement 
Authority (SELA), told Economic Counselor and Officer on 
April 18 that the idea to postpone disengagement was his.  He 
said that the period of Tisha B'Av, which he described as 
mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples, and 
the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, is "the worst 
three weeks for Jews to leave."  Bassey said that he feels 
very close to the settlers, even if they do not feel close to 
him, and that he thinks it is better "for religious reasons 
to postpone."  According to Bassey, disengagement should 
begin after August 15 (Note:  Tisha B'Av is through August 
14.  End note). 
 
3.  (C) Bassey said he thinks that PM Ariel Sharon may be 
considering the postponement.  In Bassey's opinion, Sharon 
needs the extra time to talk to the settlers to help them 
understand why Israel is evacuating them from the Gaza Strip. 
 Bassey commented that Sharon has talked to the settlers 
without him because the settlers see Bassey as the enemy.  He 
explained that Sharon apologized to Bassey for meeting the 
settlers without him, and said that Sharon is not working 
against him.  According to Bassey, he and Sharon are "playing 
good cop, bad cop." 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Relocating and Compensating the Settlers: 
Dunes are Safe, Citrus Groves are Not 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Bassey noted that the settlers have been more 
responsive to SELA since the Knesset vote on the referendum 
and passage of the budget.  He explained that only 70-80 
families have asked for compensation so far, but now SELA is 
"really negotiating" (Note:  When EconCouns and Econoff 
walked into the SELA office, an office assistant was 
preparing 1,008 compensation application packages for 
mailing.  End note).  Bassey commented that even settlers 
from Netzarim are now quietly talking to him, but declined to 
mention any names to protect them.  He said the settlers told 
him they would argue publicly against disengagement but in 
the end they would leave.  He noted that he never thought 
these settlers would talk to him two or three weeks ago. 
 
5.  (C) Bassey continued that many of the settlers want to go 
to the Ashkelon-Nitzanim area.  This is a problem, however, 
because the Mehadrin Company owns about 1,000 acres of citrus 
groves in the area and these groves will have to be uprooted 
to build villages to accommodate the settlers.  Bassey said 
Mehadrin would have to receive compensation from the 
government, but since he is a partner, he "wants to stay out 
of it."  He mentioned, however, that Mehadrin would not be 
adversely affected from having to relocate. 
 
6.  (C) Bassey claimed that the "Environment Ministry talks 
too much" and that no one is going to destroy the protected 
dunes north of Ashkelon.  He explained that 450 families will 
move to Kfar Hanoar in Nitzanim, and that the GOI will build 
two or three new villages between Ashkelon and the dunes to 
house other settlers.  He said about two-thirds of the 
settlers will eventually live around the dunes, but not 
inside.  Bassey commented that settlers from the northern 
West Bank settlements would probably go to Afula, and that 
about 50 settlers may move to the Negev on their own. 
 
7.  (C) Bassey noted that the majority of the 70-80 families 
that have applied for compensation are from the northern West 
Bank settlements.  He also commented that he just bought the 
land in Kfar Hanoar a few days ago where the 450 families 
will move.  Bassey reported that one option the settlers will 
have will be to receive some of this land instead of 
compensation for their land in Gaza.  He mentioned that some 
settlers have requested to live in temporary caravans right 
across the street from their future homes in Kfar Hanoar 
because they think the GOI will renege on this land-for-land 
deal if they are not physically present there.  Bassey opined 
this is crazy because the settlers will need schools and Kfar 
Hanoar cannot accommodate their educational needs right now. 
 
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Settlers Rebuilding Greenhouses 
------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C) Bassey mentioned that he was trying to negotiate that 
the Palestinians begin caring for the greenhouses a few weeks 
before disengagement so that the Palestinians could "get used 
to it."  He also said that "the Americans are lazy" because 
they are not doing enough to encourage the transfer of 
assets, and that he is afraid the settlers will take all the 
equipment and destroy the buildings.  Bassey reported that if 
no one buys the settlers' equipment in the next three weeks, 
the settlers will take it with them to the new greenhouses 
they are investing in near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just east of the 
Netzarim settlement outside Gaza.  He explained that the 
Israel Lands Authority gave them about 1,000 acres from the 
kibbutz, and that they have begun construction there; the 
settlers will work on this land because Ashkelon is only 
about 20 minutes away. 
 
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Security 
-------- 
 
9.  (C) On security matters, Bassey claimed that the settlers 
will disarm.  He said, however, that Defense Minister Shaul 
Mofaz should not have stated publicly that the settlers 
talked to him because this would make them feel guilty and 
ashamed.  Bassey reported that the police and the military 
will undertake the evacuations together because it will be a 
difficult process and Israel does not have enough police for 
the job.  He explained that the Gush Katif bloc would be 
evacuated through Road 242, the Kissufim Road, but did not 
comment on the northern Gaza Strip settlements. 
 
---------------------------- 
How the U.S. Can Help:  Free 
Pollard, Money for the Negev 
---------------------------- 
 
10.  (C) Bassey suggested that if the U.S. wants to help 
Sharon with disengagement, the U.S. should focus on the 
settlers themselves.  He said that one way to make them more 
comfortable with the evacuation would be for the U.S. to free 
Jonathan Pollard.  Bassey explained that Pollard is very 
important to the settlers, and his freedom would be a 
significant gesture. 
 
11.  (C) Bassey said that aid to develop the Negev and 
Galilee is important, as well.  According to Bassey, since 
the budget is aimed at the disengagement plan, Israel needs 
funds for the Negev because it is important for the GOI "to 
continue to develop" the region. 
 
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