This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG IS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SETTLEMENTS
SUBJECT: MK TALKS OF EXPANDING HEBRON SETTLEMENTS 
 
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 
 
This is a joint Embassy Tel Aviv/Consulate General Jerusalem 
cable. 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Kadima MK Otniel Schneller said on May 26 
that the GOI plans to expand settlements in Hebron and 
connect them to the Kiryat Arba settlement, all of which 
would subsequently be included in the GOI's "realignment" 
plan, according to press.  Ministry of Defense officials 
denied that this report is true, and said that Schneller is 
"politicking" because he is "now an MK and he has to say 
something."  Andrea Recchia of the Office for the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) agreed that 
Schneller is "posturing."  While plans for Hebron's 
settlements to grow may not exist, Kiryat Arba settlement 
itself appears to be growing.  Emad Hamdan, Acting Director 
General of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC), 
informed poloff and econoff last week that settlers there 
recently built a new fence beyond the location of the 
original fence bordering the settlement, and are effectively 
expanding the settlement and confiscating agricultural land 
belonging to Palestinians from Hebron.  End note. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Plans to Expand Hebron-Area Settlements? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Israeli media reported on May 26 that Kadima MK 
Otniel Schneller, who is a reported influential advisor on 
settlements and is also a settler, said that the GOI plans to 
enlarge settlements in Hebron and connect them to the Kiryat 
Arba settlement.  He added that all of these settlements 
would be included in Israel under the GOI's "realignment" 
plan.  While Schneller stressed that he was not speaking in 
an official capacity, an unnamed government source was quoted 
as saying that "Israel has always planned to retain the holy 
sites in Hebron."  Noam Arnon, a spokesman for Hebron's 
settler community, also said in the article that former Prime 
Minister Ariel Sharon always insisted that Hebron's settler 
community would remain a part of Israel's final borders. 
 
-------------------------- 
GOI Officials Deny Reports 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Brig. Gen. (ret.) Baruch Spiegel, advisor in the 
Ministry of Defense (MOD), told Embassy EconCouns on May 30 
that he has not heard of any plans to expand settlements in 
Hebron.  He mentioned that he would try to find out more 
information and follow up on May 31.  Lt. Col. Oded Herman, 
also an advisor in the MOD, told econoff that Schneller is 
"politicking" because he is "now an MK and he has to say 
something."  Herman said that he is not familiar with any 
plan to expand settlements in Hebron, and that Schneller is 
not speaking on behalf of the GOI.  Herman brushed off 
Schneller's comments by remarking that "he can say whatever 
he wants." 
 
------------------------ 
"Schneller is Posturing" 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Andrea Recchia, Hebron field officer for the UN 
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 
told ConGen poloff on May 30 that he has witnessed no 
activities on the ground around Kiryat Arba.  He opined that 
Schneller's statements about settlement expansion in the 
Hebron area were just "political posturing."  He added that 
settlers have long had the desire to connect Kiryat Arba with 
Givat Ha'avot 450 meters to the northwest, and that one of 
the outposts Defense Minister Amir Peretz has identified for 
evacuation, Havon David, is located in this area. 
 
------------------------ 
But Kiryat Arba May Grow 
------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (C) Emad Hamdan, Acting Director General of the Hebron 
Rehabilitation Committee (HRC), however, told poloff and 
econoff on May 22 that Kiryat Arba recently built a new fence 
between 5 and 50 meters beyond the location of the original 
fence bordering the settlement, effectively expanding the 
settlement and confiscating agricultural land belonging to 
Palestinians from Hebron.  (Note:  Kiryat Arba borders the H2 
area of Hebron to the east.  End note.)  He explained that 
HRC appealed to the Israeli High Court of Justice to have the 
new fence removed, and said that while the High Court has not 
reached a decision on this case, it has allowed Palestinians 
to access their lands between the two fences for now.  In the 
meantime, the settlers have taken out the old fence and left 
the new fence in place, removing any barrier between the 
settlers and Palestinians farming their land, according to 
Hamdan.  He also reported that he has spotted several 
caravans around the settlement. 
 
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