US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6891

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006891 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KWBG, IS, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: SPIEGEL OUTLINES GOI PLAN TO REMOVE SOME OBSTACLES 
TO MOVEMENT IN WEST BANK 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Brigadier General (res.) Baruch Spiegel, 
advisor in the Ministry of Defense (MOD), briefed the 
Ambassador and Embassy staff on the GOI's three-phase draft 
plan for the reduction and removal of obstacles to movement 
in the West Bank.  In Phase I, the GOI plans to remove a 
total of 28 checkpoints in the northern West Bank and west of 
Hebron.  The roadblocks will be removed to increase movement 
between Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Qalqilyah, and at Beit 
Awwa, west of Hebron, and at Neveh Geva'ot in the Gush 
Etzion.  He noted that Za'atara checkpoint (Tappuach 
Junction) would be expanded to allow more traffic to travel 
south of Nablus.  Spiegel continued that Phase II would begin 
after a 2-3 month evaluation period, and will see the removal 
of 20 checkpoints around Nablus, including Beit Furik, 
Huwarra, Beit Iba, and Awarta, as well as at least four 
checkpoints in or near Ramallah.  He expects these openings 
to reduce the travel time between the northern to the 
southern West Bank, depending on the capacity of the 
container checkpoint at Wadi Nar, east of Jerusalem.  Spiegel 
welcomed U.S. engineering technical expertise to expand the 
capacity at the checkpoint.  He told the Ambassador that 
Phase III would be implemented in sync with the completion of 
the separation barrier, and that the GOI will remove an 
additional 107 checkpoints in the southern West Bank near 
Hebron and adjacent to the seam zone.  Spiegel did not have 
permission to discuss the important Hamra checkpoint in the 
Jordan Valley for Palestinians to access Route 90, but the 
Ambassador will raise this issue with Defense Minister Shaul 
Mofaz.  The Embassy and OCHA will analyze the plan this week, 
and begin talks with the GOI on a mutually acceptable plan 
prior to the December 31 date specified by the November 15 
Agreement on Movement and Access.  End summary. 
 
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General Overview 
---------------- 
 
2.  (C) On December 11, Brigadier General (res.) Baruch 
Spiegel, advisor in the Ministry of Defense (MOD), briefed 
the Ambassador and Embassy staff on the GOI's draft plan to 
remove obstacles to movement in the West Bank, as stated in 
the Agreement on Movement and Access.  According to Spiegel, 
the plan will have three phases, and will reduce the number 
of obstacles to create "effective movement between regions" 
and greatly improve the economic and humanitarian situation 
in the West Bank.  He explained that progress on the removal 
of closures would depend on the security situation, the 
relative effectiveness of Palestinian security services, the 
relative proximity to Jerusalem, and the presence of the 
separation barrier.  He said that the Jerusalem area would be 
clear of roadblocks and other obstacles once the 12 planned 
terminals are built. 
 
3.  (C) Under what Spiegel termed "Civilian Considerations," 
he said the GOI would remove or reduce obstacles to movement 
based on existing roads, access between villages and city 
centers, access to bridges to Jordan, and access to the seam 
zone between the Green Line and the separation barrier.  He 
noted that obstacles would be reduced to help the 
Palestinians go to hospitals, essential development projects, 
District Coordination Offices for permits, and back-to-back 
trade platforms.  Among the components of the plan are 
reducing and removing obstacles, opening checkpoints in 
phases, implementing infrastructure development projects, 
improving roads and interchanges, strengthening field 
security and civilian coordination, building trust between 
the two sides, and reducing friction between settlers, the 
IDF, and Palestinians.  Spiegel mentioned that the goals of 
the plan are to increase movement in the West Bank, create 
alternatives and improvements in current routes to minimize 
delays, and develop and encourage public transportation.  He 
also said that this plan would "create a positive momentum 
and improve the status of daily living." 
 
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Plan in Three Phases 
-------------------- 
 
4.  (C) According to the IDF, there are currently 304 total 
obstacles to movement as of last week.  (Note:  OCHA reports 
399 as of November 15.  End note.)  The IDF counts 253 
roadblocks, 11 checkpoints, 11 internal checkpoints, and 29 
seam zone passages.  Of these obstacles, according to 
Spiegel, the GOI plans to remove 28 in Phase I, 20 in Phase 
II, and 107 in Phase III.  At the end of Phase III, the GOI 
expects approximately 120 obstacles to remain throughout the 
West Bank, probably surrounding the settlements that will be 
to the east of the separation barrier, according to Spiegel. 
 
5.  (C) Spiegel claimed that 12 of the 28 roadblocks to be 
removed in the first phase have in fact already been removed, 
north of Hebron.  He explained that the GOI plans to remove 
the checkpoint at Beit Awwa, near the Green Line west of 
Hebron, and another roadblock at Neveh Geva'ot in the Gush 
Etzion.  The remaining roadblocks will be removed from the 
northern West Bank to increase movement between Jenin, 
Tulkarm, Nablus, and Qalqilyah.  He said he hoped that Road 
57 could be upgraded to eventually connect it to Route 60 
heading north.  He also said that the checkpoint at Za'atara 
(Tappuach Junction) would be expanded to allow more traffic 
to cross through.  Spiegel continued that Phase II would 
begin after a 2-3 month evaluation period, and would see the 
removal of checkpoints around Nablus:  Beit Furik, Huwarra, 
Beit Iba, and Awarta, as well as at least four checkpoints in 
or near Ramallah.  He assessed this would reduce 
significantly the time it takes to travel from the northern 
to the southern West Bank.  Any remaining major delays would 
be "owing to the load at Wadi Nar," or depending on the 
capacity of the container checkpoint at Wadi Nar, east of 
Jerusalem.  Spiegel said that Wadi Nar will be normally open, 
unless there is a terror attack, and welcomed U.S. 
engineering technical expertise to expand the capacity at the 
checkpoint.  He commented that the Rimonim Junction would 
also normally be open, and asked for USAID help in upgrading 
Road 449 from Ramallah to Jericho.  The GOI also expects to 
remove some roadblocks on Road 317 leading into Hebron from 
the villages near Yatta. 
 
6.  (C) Spiegel told the Ambassador that Phase III would take 
place with the completion of the separation barrier, 
especially in the southern West Bank near Hebron and adjacent 
to the seam zone.  When the barrier is complete, the 
remaining roadblocks will be removed, he said.  Spiegel 
reported that he was not authorized to discuss the Jordan 
Valley, and the issue would have to be taken up at a higher 
political level. 
 
------------------------- 
The Pilot Assistance Plan 
------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Spiegel mentioned the possibility of a test pilot in 
which obstacles are removed in areas where international 
development projects are simultaneously being implemented, 
such as road and infrastructure development, water projects, 
and job creation programs.  In addition to Road 57 and 449, 
he noted that Roads 354 from Tarqumiya to Beit Awwa, and Road 
356 from Hebron to Bethlehem should be upgraded as examples 
for possible road projects. 
 
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Additional Comments 
------------------- 
 
8.  (C) The Ambassador raised questions about the third 
phase, which Spiegel had left largely undefined.  He noted 
that the USG could not agree to any plan without knowing 
where remaining obstacles would be and why.  He also pressed 
for the GOI to consider ways of evaluating the impact of the 
removal of the closures.  Spiegel agreed to begin talks in a 
subcommittee with Embassy staff and OCHA to increase 
transparency in the permit regime system, and in the 
operation and infrastructure of remaining checkpoints. 
 
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