VZCZCXRO8913
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1079/01 1761418
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251418Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5241
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001079 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA, NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR, 
TREASURY FOR MOGER, JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019 
TAGS: ECON PREL ETRD PHUM PTRD KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF EASES ACCESS AND MOVEMENT IN THE WEST BANK, 
BUT MANY OBSTACLES REMAIN 
 
REF: A) JERUSALEM 898 B) JERUSALEM 896 C) JERUSALEM 
     614 D) JERUSALEM 479 E) JERUSALEM 288 
 
Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b), d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  The IDF has taken measures to ease access 
and movement around a number of West Bank cities since 
February 2009.  The IDF's removal of checkpoints and road 
obstacles and the easing of restrictions at several manned 
checkpoints has directly benefited the Nablus, Qalqiliya, 
Ramallah and Jericho areas.  In many instances, however, 
these measures have been accompanied by other restrictive 
actions, e.g. erecting new obstacles or increasing the 
frequency of "flying checkpoints" in the same areas.  Other 
important checkpoints appear to have become more entrenched 
through infrastructure upgrades.  The overall West Bank road 
obstacle count, now 613, is down only slightly.  End summary. 
 
 
Significant Improvements in Some Areas; 
New Restrictions in Others 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) The most significant easings that have occurred since 
February include: 
 
-- Removing Bani Naim road obstacles east of Hebron (on/about 
February 15), which opened direct access for about 20,000 
local residents to Route 60, the West Bank's main north-south 
highway, and to Hebron (ref E); 
-- Dismantling Beit Iba checkpoint (March 15), which 
controlled access to western Nablus.  The IDF, however, 
constructed a new replacement checkpoint about two kilometers 
to the west that is "normally open" (meaning the checkpoint 
is manned but soldiers do not generally stop vehicles) (ref 
D); 
-- Removing two road obstacles west of Nablus (late March) 
that had blocked western villages' access to the city center. 
 The IDF, however, installed new road gates that blocked the 
villages' access to Route 60 (ref C); 
-- Changing Asira ash-Shamalia checkpoint north of Nablus 24 
to "normally open" status 24 hours/day and removing some 
infrastructure (June 3) (ref B); 
-- Changing Atara checkpoint, which controls a main northern 
access route to Ramallah, to "normally open" status June 3 
(ref B).  Within the last week, however, there have been at 
least two "flying checkpoints" on the same route that have 
reimposed controls on movement; 
-- Removing infrastructure at the Rimonim/At-Tayba partial 
checkpoint on a main Ramallah-Jericho road (June 3).  IDF 
"flying checkpoints" in this area, however, are common (ref 
B), and infrastructure upgrades are underway at Yitav 
checkpoint about ten kilometers to the east; 
-- Changing two checkpoints controlling access to Qalqiliya, 
which is surrounded on three sides by the barrier, to 
"normally open" status (June 5); 
-- Opening and removing most infrastructure at the Jericho 
DCO checkpoint (June 14), the southern access road to the 
city. 
 
Overall Obstacle Count Holds at Over 600 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The openings have not significantly reduced the 
overall obstacle count in the West Bank.  OCHA announced on 
June 24 that, after months of discussions, joint field trips, 
and detailed cross-checking, OCHA and the IDF Central Command 
had come to an agreed obstacle count of 613.  This is a 
slight reduction from OCHA's February 2009 total (626). 
OCHA's overall obstacle count has remained relatively stable 
over the past year (up from 607 in May 2008).  (Comment: 
While the IDF has focussed on easing movement at manned 
checkpoints, numerous road gates and other fixed obstacles 
continue to impede movement in many areas.  End Comment.) 
 
Other Key Checkpoints More Entrenched 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) While removals and openings have occurred in some 
areas, checkpoint infrastructure has become more entrenched 
in others.  The IDF recently completed, or is in the process 
of infrastructure "upgrades" -- e.g., new asphalt, more 
traffic lanes and road dividers, new guard booths, etc, -- at 
a number of West Bank checkpoints, including: 
 
-- Yitav, which controls a main road between Ramallah and 
Jericho (under construction); 
-- Enav, which controls the main road to Tulkarem and a major 
 
JERUSALEM 00001079  002 OF 002 
 
 
commercial crossing terminal at Sha'ar Ephraim (completed in 
June); 
-- Container/Wadi Nar, which controls the main north-south 
road east of Jerusalem (completed in early 2009); 
-- Huwwara, the main checkpoint controlling access to 
southeast Nablus (new pedestrian facilities completed in 
December 2008). 
 
Remaining Priority Obstacles 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) While the GOI's recent easing of restrictions on 
access and movement are significant for the cities of Nablus, 
Jericho, Qalqiliya and, to a lesser extent, Ramallah, many 
priority obstacles remain.  In Hebron area, for example, the 
mayor and local businessmen are pressing for removal of key 
two road gates, one near Bait Haggay settlement that blocks 
the main southern access road to the city, and one (Farsh 
al-Hawa) that restricts access from northwestern Hebron to 
Route 35, a major east-west highway (ref A).  The Jordan 
Valley, blocked by four major checkpoints (Yitav/Al Auja, 
Ma'ale Efrayim, Hamra, and Tayasir), remains off-limits to 
most Palestinians.  The Bet El DCO checkpoint and Route 466 
road obstacles control Ramallah's eastern access road, and 
the main route between Tulkarem and Jenin, Route 585, remains 
blocked to Palestinians by the Mevo Dotan checkpoint and 
Hermesh settlement road gate.  Access from Salfit to 
neighboring villages is blocked by a road gate near the Ariel 
settlement. 
 
¶6. (C) At a meeting between IDF officials and PA security 
chiefs in Bethlehem on June 24, the IDF reportedly said that 
it will open Huwwara checkpoint south of Nablus later this 
week.  Although the infrastructure and soldiers will remain 
in place, PA security officials report that the IDF said it 
will allow free flow of traffic except in extreme situations. 
 In the same meeting, the IDF reportedly offered new, 
unspecified, improvements around Hebron in the coming weeks. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: Overall, the impact of recent steps is 
positive, but much more remains to be done to allow 
Palestinians to move freely in the West Bank.  We believe 
that positive reaction by the USG to these steps should be 
tailored to encourage further progress. 
WALLES