US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV4709

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 004709 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KWBG, IS, SETTLEMENTS 
SUBJECT: HOPE FLOWERS SCHOOL NOT THREATENED BY SEPARATION 
ROUTE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: On 20 July, Hope Flowers School Co-director 
Ibrahim Issa met with Ministry of Defense Advisor Brigadier 
General (res.) Baruch Spiegel and officers from the West Bank 
District Coordination Offices (DCO) to discuss demolition 
orders issued against the school's cafeteria.  Spiegel told 
Issa that the projected route of the separation barrier will 
not affect the school or its cafeteria.  The demolition 
orders issued in 1999 and 2003 against the cafeteria, 
however, were issued based on what Israeli authorities 
consider illegal construction.  Spiegel noted that the 
school's construction of the large cafeteria structure was 
inconsistent with plans originally submitted by the school to 
build a house.  Spiegel stated that the demolition orders 
against the cafeteria would be temporarily frozen and urged 
Issa to comply with construction regulations and resubmit a 
revised plan to obtain the proper building permits for the 
cafeteria.  Spiegel welcomed Issa to work with the DCO 
officers in charge of the Bethlehem area, and told Issa to 
call him personally if the barrier negatively affects the 
routine of the school, teachers, or students.  End summary. 
 
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Cafeteria Safe From Barrier Route 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Brigadier General (res.) Baruch Spiegel, Ministry of 
Defense advisor, told Hope Flowers School Co-Director Ibrahim 
Issa in a July 20 meeting at U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv that the 
projected route of the separation barrier does not portend 
demolition of the school's cafeteria.  The cafeteria is 
approximately 255 meters from the fence, exceeding Israeli 
Defense Force (IDF) requirements that structures not be 
within 150 meters of the barrier. Spiegel stated that he has 
taken the school under his "direct responsibility" and 
welcomed Issa to call him personally if the route of the 
barrier negatively affects the daily routine of the school, 
students, or teachers.  School administrators, thinking that 
the cafeteria was 120 meters from the barrier's route, had 
previously voiced their concern to ConGen Jerusalem poloffs 
and visiting Codels that demolition orders against the 
cafeteria structure were related to its proximity to the 
barrier's route. 
 
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Demolition Orders Issued for Illegal Construction 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
3.  (C) Spiegel stated, however, that the demolition orders 
issued in 1999 and 2003 against the school's cafeteria were 
issued based on illegal construction.  Spiegel, accompanied 
by officers from the West Bank District Coordination Offices 
(DCO), showed Issa original plans submitted by the school and 
pictures of various stages of construction on the cafeteria. 
According to Spiegel, the construction of the cafeteria is 
inconsistent with plans submitted by the school for a permit 
to build a house. 
 
4.  (C) Spiegel said that the cafeteria structure was 
originally built without obtaining the proper license, 
leading to the first issuance of demolition orders in 1999. 
While the school was trying to get a permit for the building, 
Israel did not demolish the structure but asked the school to 
stop additional construction.  The school, however, according 
to Spiegel, did not maintain this agreement and added a 
second floor and a kitchen to the structure in 2003.  The 
subsequent construction and the inconsistency with the 
submitted plans led to the second issuance of demolition 
orders in November 2003. 
 
5.  (C)  Spiegel stated that the demolition orders pending 
against the cafeteria would be temporarily frozen and urged 
Issa to comply with construction regulations and work with 
the DCO officers--who worked locally on the ground--to revise 
and resubmit plans to obtain the proper building permits for 
the cafeteria.  According to Spiegel, the area where the 
school is located is Area C--full Israeli civil and security 
control--and is zoned as agricultural land.  Permits for 
construction are needed to comply with this zoning.  Spiegel 
guaranteed Issa that the officers would be ready to work with 
him and proceed accordingly. 
 
6.  (C) Issa, in response to Spiegel's statements, said that 
construction on the structure was halted in 1999 for 
financial reasons and could not be completed until 2003. 
Issa acknowledged that construction was undertaken without 
the proper permits.  On July 25, Issa told ConGen poloff that 
the school submitted a request for a building permit in early 
June, but that the request was returned to them because it 
was allegedly not filed according to appropriate GOI 
standards.  Issa said that the school collected all the 
necessary documentation and will file the papers again 
through their attorney, Tossiya Cohen.  Issa told poloff that 
he viewed the meeting with Spiegel as a mostly positive 
development as it opened up communication channels between 
the two parties.  He expressed concern that the Israeli side 
could not provide guarantees that the permit for the 
cafeteria will be granted, still leaving the door open for 
possible demolition. 
 
7.  (C) Comment:  Embassy and ConGen officers will remain in 
close contact with the school and Spiegel's office, and will 
continue to monitor the situation.  End comment. 
 
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