US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2654

S E C R E T TEL AVIV 002654 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PBTS, KWBG, IS, SETTLEMENTS 
SUBJECT: PLANNING FOR MA'ALE ADUMIM/E1 REPORTEDLY CONTINUES 
 
REF: A. TEL AVIV 01729 
     B. JERUSALEM 01634 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
Consulate General Jerusalem has cleared this cable. 
 
1.  (S) Summary:  The GOI continues its planning for the E1 
region of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank. 
Brigadier General (res) Baruch Spiegel, Ministry of Defense 
Advisor, in an aside told the DCM on April 20 that "there are 
very strong interests here in Israel" to move forward with 
the approval process (see septel), although Israel "has heard 
the message" from the USG on Ma'ale Adumim.  Recent Israeli 
press reports on April 26 support this:  two architectural 
firms are currently making technical alterations to the plan 
before it is deposited for public review.  Ma'ale Adumim 
Mayor Benny Kashriel told Consulate poloff that "E1 must be 
built, and the GOI supports our plans.  Prime Minister Sharon 
sees Ma'ale Adumim as an integral part of Israel and greater 
Jerusalem."  End summary. 
 
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Moving Forward on the 
Approval Process 
--------------------- 
 
2.  (S) The approval process for planning of the E1 region in 
Ma'ale Adumim is progressing despite USG objections. 
Brigadier General (res) Baruch Spiegel (strictly protect), 
Ministry of Defense (MOD) Advisor, told the DCM in an aside 
on April 20 that the GOI "has heard the message" from the 
U.S. on Ma'ale Adumim, but said that "there are very strong 
interests here in Israel" to continue with planning and 
construction.  Lawyer and community activist Danny Seidemann 
(please protect) told Consulate poloff and Embassy econoff 
that, based on information he received from the Ma'ale Adumim 
town-planning office, the approval process is clearly moving 
along and it could be a matter of a few weeks or months 
before it is deposited for public review. 
 
3.  (U) Israeli press has recently reported that work is 
continuing on the approval process for E1.  Ha'aretz on April 
26 indicated that the subcommittees of the Higher Planning 
Council (ref A) are reportedly seeking technical alterations 
to the plan, and the redrafts are being done by two 
architectural firms, Yoram Fogel and Amatzia Aharonson.  The 
mayor of Ma'ale Adumim, Benny Kashriel, said the alterations 
refer to items such as access roads and parking lots. 
According to press, one of the architectural firms said the 
Ministry of Construction and Housing (MOCH) is allegedly 
asking for completion of the alterations.  The director of 
the MOCH Jerusalem District office said that since he had not 
received instructions to the contrary, work is progressing on 
the plan. 
 
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Is Sharon Behind It? 
-------------------- 
 
4.  (C) There have been various allegations since the 
announcement in late March of plans for E1 that Prime 
Minister Ariel Sharon is actively promoting the E1 plan.  On 
April 4, press indicated that he reportedly told the Knesset 
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees that Israel should 
move forward with E1 despite U.S. and Palestinian objections. 
 Per ref B, Kashriel told Consulate poloff on April 18 that 
"E1 must be built, and the GOI supports our plans.  Prime 
Minister Sharon sees Ma'ale Adumim as an integral part of 
Israel and greater Jerusalem."  Seidemann told Consulate 
poloff and Embassy econoff on April 26 that an unnamed source 
in the senior political echelon of the GOI said that there is 
"a lot of pressure to get it done quickly" from the Prime 
Minister's Office and the MOD. 
 
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