US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5257

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 005257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KWBG, IS, SETTLEMENTS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: PLAN FOR POLICE STATION IN E-1 IS READY FOR 
PUBLICATION 
 
REF: A. TEL AVIV 01729 
     B. JERUSALEM 03869 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
This cable has been cleared by Consulate General Jerusalem. 
 
1.  (C) Israeli press reported today, August 25, that the 
plans for the new Judea and Samaria Police Headquarters, 
which will be relocated from Ras al-Amud to the E-1 
neighborhood of Ma'ale Adumim, are complete and awaiting 
approval from the Planning Council.  Col. Oded Herman of the 
Ministry of Defense told econoff, however, that the plans 
have been completely approved -- meaning that the Planning 
Council and the Minister of Defense have signed off on the 
project-- and are actually in the municipality's hands ready 
for publication as part of the public review phase.  Herman 
said that at this point, it is up to the municipality when it 
wants to publish the plans, and explained that it can publish 
them tomorrow or a month from now, whenever it chooses. 
Herman continued that the municipality must publish the plans 
in one Arabic and one Hebrew newspaper, and that Palestinians 
will have 60 days to petition the High Court after 
publication. 
 
2.  (C) The press reports indicate that the problem of the 
police station being partly on Palestinian-owned land has 
been resolved.  Per ref A, it was determined in November 2004 
that the building was planned on Palestinian land, so 
construction was stopped.  Herman reported today that the 
problem was the road leading up to the station, and he said 
that the planning subcommittees have reportedly moved the 
road so that it is now on state land instead of Palestinian 
land. 
 
3.  (C) The plans for the police station were originally part 
of a larger development that included over 3,500 houses in 
E-1, as publicized in March 2005, but according to press 
today, the GOI decided to separate the planning stages of the 
police station from those of the housing units.  In response 
to econoff's question on why this was the case, Herman 
replied that it was probably due "to the American pressure" 
after the reports of the 3,500 houses came out in March. 
(Note:  Ref B reports that the plans for the houses in E-1 
have been completed and are awaiting approval from the 
Defense Minister.  Once the Defense Minister gives his 
approval, the housing plans will be ready for public review, 
as with the police station.  End note.) 
 
4.  (C) Comment:  Given that construction of the police 
station in E-1 had already started at one point, and was 
stopped until the issue of the Palestinian-owned land was 
resolved, it is likely that it will not be long before these 
new plans go to public review.  End comment. 
 
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KURTZER