US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2947

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002947 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KWBG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, SETTLEMENTS 
SUBJECT: SETTLER SPOKESMAN:  WE WILL FIGHT DISENGAGEMENT TO 
THE END 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) 
 and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Eran Sternberg, Gush Katif Spokesman, told 
econoff on May 4 that, although some settlers are negotiating 
with the GOI on disengagement planning, the majority favor a 
continued struggle against the evacuation.  He said the GOI 
is not ready with a solution for relocation, and the settlers 
must therefore fight or risk losing "respect."  Sternberg 
described a three-pronged attack on disengagement comprised 
of settlers who will resist on the day of by refusing to be 
evacuated, supporters who will help them disturb electricity 
and water supplies, and security personnel who will refuse 
orders.  He explained that whether settlers were willing to 
negotiate or not, most do not believe Prime Minister Ariel 
Sharon, and they feel they will be forgotten in temporary 
caravans after disengagement rather than receiving the houses 
the GOI has talked about in the Nitzanim area.  Sternberg 
denied that settlers are removing agricultural equipment from 
the greenhouses in the Gaza Strip because if disengagement 
falls through, the settlers will need this equipment in Gaza. 
 End summary. 
 
------------------------------ 
Some Willing to Talk to GOI... 
------------------------------ 
 
2.  (C) Eran Sternberg, Gush Katif Spokesman, told economic 
officer on May 4 that some Gaza Strip settlers are 
negotiating with the GOI on disengagement and relocation 
because they want to "prepare an insurance policy."  The 
settlers want to have somewhere to go once they are 
evacuated, he explained, and are participating in the 
dialogue to have a say in their fates. 
 
-------------------------- 
...Others Fight to the End 
-------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) Sternberg reported, however, that the majority of the 
settlers remain in favor of continuing the struggle.  He said 
for them there is no other option because the GOI will not be 
ready to relocate them in three months' time.  Since they 
will be "refugees," they will fight the evacuation to at 
least "save their respect."  Sternberg added that even some 
who are willing to talk to the GOI will still fight the 
disengagement plan. 
 
4.  (C) In response to econoff's question on how they plan to 
fight the evacuation, Sternberg described the struggle as a 
triangle.  He said the first leg is the settlers themselves 
who will stay in their homes and resist the soldiers or 
police on evacuation day.  The second leg consists of 
supporters who will go to the Gaza Strip to live with the 
settlers.  According to Sternberg, some of the supporters are 
settlers from the West Bank, but also residents of cities in 
Israel such as Tel Aviv who support the settler movement. 
Sternberg continued that the two together, the settlers and 
their supporters, will increase the amount of acts of civil 
disobedience and will "paralyze the system without violence." 
 As examples, he cited cutting off electricity and water 
supplies, and stopping trains.  Sternberg said the final leg 
of the triangle is comprised of soldiers and police who will 
refuse orders to evacuate settlers.  He did not provide any 
other details besides saying, "they're our brothers" and will 
help.  Sternberg estimated that these tactics will have a 
50-50 chance of stopping disengagement. 
 
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No One Trusts Sharon Regardless 
------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Sternberg explained that the settlers who do not want 
to negotiate with the GOI are refusing because they are 
disappointed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whom they are 
now calling "Crime Minister Sharon."  According to Sternberg, 
the settlers feel that Sharon is conditioning the relocation 
solution to Nitzanim on them being "good kids," but the fact 
is that the GOI does not have a solution at all.  He said 
this makes the settlers angry and they feel Sharon is 
"destroying people's lives" and is "not serious" about a 
relocation plan. 
 
6.  (C) Even for the settlers who are willing to negotiate 
with the GOI, they are only doing so to try to get the 
government to fulfill its promise to the settlers and "not 
cheat us," according to Sternberg.  He explained that these 
settlers are trying to delay the evacuation by six months or 
a year so that they will see houses in Nitzanim rather than 
temporary caravans.  Sternberg continued that these settlers 
do not believe Sharon either and feel they will be forgotten 
after disengagement, so they want to see permanent homes on 
the ground and not just trailers. 
 
7.  (C) Sternberg said that regardless of whether settlers 
are willing to negotiate with the GOI on relocation planning 
or not, the general perception is that Sharon "means the 
contrary when he says something."  He cited the example of 
Sharon's actions vis-a-vis Jonathan Pollard:  Sharon 
allegedly was supposed to ask the President on the settlers' 
behalf for Pollard's release during his visit to Crawford 
Ranch, but Sternberg's sources in the U.S. told him Sharon 
never did.  Sternberg also said Sharon "forgot a petition 
signed by 112 MKs" in support of Pollard's release.  In 
response to econoff's question on whether the settlers would 
evacuate peacefully if Pollard were released, Sternberg 
responded that it would "not avoid the struggle, but it could 
reduce the flame some amount."  Ultimately, he concluded, the 
Pollard incident proves to the settlers that Sharon cannot be 
trusted. 
 
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Equipment Still in Greenhouses 
------------------------------ 
 
8.  (C) With respect to settlement assets, Sternberg said he 
personally did not care whether the settlers' homes are 
destroyed or left intact for the Palestinians.  On the 
greenhouses, he reported that he has not seen farmers moving 
their agricultural equipment to new greenhouses outside of 
the Gaza Strip because the settlers think there is a chance 
disengagement will fall through.  If the settlers stay in 
Gaza, they will need the equipment in the greenhouses, he 
explained. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
9.  (C) It is difficult to determine how far the settlers are 
willing to go to fight the disengagement plan.  Sternberg 
claims that even those who are negotiating with the GOI plan 
to disturb the process.  Yonatan Bassey of the Disengagement 
Authority, however, recently told us that the settlers who 
are secretly talking to him will speak out against the 
evacuation for symbolic reasons but in the end will go 
without much of a fight.  Regardless of what the settlers may 
or may not be currently planning, Defense and Finance 
Ministry contacts have told us the GOI is willing to up the 
ante financially to ensure the evacuation takes place as 
smoothly as possible.  End comment. 
 
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