VZCZCXYZ0021
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJMA #0535 0801625
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE3016 0801614
P 211625Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000535 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
OPS - PASS TO A/S WELCH AND PARTY; NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; 
NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR 
ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2017 
TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: NEW CONSTRUCTION NEAR ALFE MENASHE SETTLEMENT 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY FOR THE FIRST OF 50 
HOUSING UNITS IN NOF HASHARON, NEAR THE WEST BANK SETTLEMENT 
OF ALFE MENASHE. POLOFF VISITED THE SITE ON MARCH 19. THE 
MAYOR OF ALFE MENASHE SAYS NOF HASHARON IS A NEIGHBORHOOD OF 
HIS MUNICIPALITY AND THAT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS AN 
EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING SETTLEMENT, NOT A NEW ONE. POLOFF 
OBSERVED THAT TRAVEL BETWEEN NOF HASHARON AND ALFE MENASHE 
REQUIRES CROSSING THE SEPARATION BARRIER TWICE AND THAT THE 
SHORTEST ROUTE IS A FIFTEEN MINUTE DRIVE. THE SECURITY CHIEF 
AT NIRIT, THE COMMUNITY INSIDE ISRAEL IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO 
NOF HASHARON, TOLD POLOFF THAT NOF HASHARON IS PART OF ALFE 
MENASHE'S ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT, BUT OTHERWISE COMPLETELY 
SEPARATE. THE SETTLEMENT WATCH OFFICER FOR THE ISRAELI NGO 
PEACE NOW SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOF HASHARON, WHICH WAS 
APPROVED BY THE SUPREME PLANNING COUNCIL IN 2003, IS PART OF 
A LARGER PLAN TO CONSTRUCT HOMES BETWEEN ALFE MENASHE AND THE 
GREEN LINE. END SUMMARY. 
 
VISIT TO NOF HASHARON 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) POLOFF OBSERVED FIVE VILLA-STYLE HOMES ARE UNDER 
CONSTRUCTION AT NOF HASHARON ON MARCH 19. (NOTE: PHOTOS 
EMAILED TO NEA-IPA. END NOTE.) THIS COMMUNITY IS IMMEDIATELY 
ADJACENT TO THE TOWN OF NIRIT, AND ACCORDING TO ZVIKA, THE 
HEAD OF SECURITY AT NIRIT (INSIDE ISRAEL, FLANKING THE GREEN 
LINE), WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY 50 VILLA-STYLE SINGLE-FAMILY 
HOMES.  THE HOMES WILL BE OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASED 
THE LAND AND PAID FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION. POLOFF DROVE 
BETWEEN ALFE MENASHE AND NOF HASHARON AND OBSERVED THAT THE 
FIFTEEN MINUTE TRIP REQUIRES CROSSING THE SEPARATION BARRIER 
TWICE AND DRIVING THROUGH TWO PALESTINIAN VILLAGES, RAS 
'ATIYA AND WADI A-RASHA. ZVIKA ADDED THAT, WHEN THE 
CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE, ACCESS WILL BE THROUGH A GATE INTO 
NIRIT AND THERE WILL BE NO DIRECT ACCESS BETWEEN NOF HASHARON 
AND ALFE MENASHE. 
 
NEW SETTLEMENT OR EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING SETTLEMENT? 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (C) ELIAZOR HISDAI, THE MAYOR OF ALFE MENASHE, POSTED A 
LETTER ON THE SETTLEMENT'S WEBSITE CLAIMING THAT NOF HASHARON 
IS A NEIGHBORHOOD OF ALFE MENASHE AND THEREFORE AN EXTENSION 
OF THE EXISTING SETTLEMENT. YEHEZKEL LEIN, RESEARCH DIRECTOR 
FOR B'TSELEM, THE ISRAELI INFORMATION CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, TOLD POLOFF MARCH 21 NOF 
HASHARONS ONLY CONNECTION TO ALFE MENASHE IS THAT IT IS 
LOCATED IN THE SETTLEMENT'S JURISDICTIONAL AREA, WHICH ALLOWS 
THE GOI TO CONSIDER IT A NEIGHBORHOOD OF AN EXISTING 
SETTLEMENT, RATHER THAN A NEW SETTLEMENT. 
 
¶4.  (C) HAGIT OFRAN, SETTLEMENT WATCH OFFICER WITH THE 
ISRAELI NGO PEACE NOW, REJECTS MAYOR HISDAI'S CLAIMS AND TOLD 
POLOFF MARCH 19 THAT ALFE MENASHE IS NOT A TRUE 
ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT, WITH SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES PAYING 
TAXES TO THE IT, BUT RATHER A SOLITARY MUNICIPALITY.  LEIN 
SAID NOF HASHARON WILL RECEIVE MUNICIPAL SERVICES FROM NIRIT, 
NOT ALFE MENASHE. HOWEVER, LEIN SAID THAT BECAUSE NIRIT IS 
INSIDE THE GREEN LINE, NOF HASHARON CANNOT BE CONSIDERED PART 
OF THAT TOWN WITHOUT ISRAELI ANNEXATION OF THE LAND ON WHICH 
NOF HASHARON IS BUILT.  (NOTE: THE RESIDENTS OF NIRIT FILED A 
PETITION IN 2004 OPPOSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF NOF HASHARON, 
SAYING THEY DO NOT WANT TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY 
OR BE ASSOCIATED WITH WEST BANK SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES. THE 
ISRAELI HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE REJECTED THE PETITION. END 
NOTE.) 
 
PART OF A PATTERN 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (C) OFRAN AND LEIN BOTH SAID CONSTRUCTION AT NOF HASHARON 
IS PART OF A LARGER PATTERN OF SETTLEMENT EXPANSION IN WHICH 
NON-CONTIGUOUS DEVELOPMENTS ARE GIVEN THE SAME NAME TO ALLOW 
THEM TO BE CONSIDERED ONE SETTLEMENT. OFRAN SAID THE 
CONSTRUCTION AT NOF HASHARON IS PART OF A LARGER PLAN BY 
G.B.F.-NADLAN CONSTRUCTION TO DEVELOP THE AREA BETWEEN ALFE 
MENASHE AND THE GREEN LINE.  IN THE SAME LETTER POSTED TO HIS 
WEBSITE, MAYOR HISDAI DISAVOWED ANY CONNECTION TO OR 
KNOWLEDGE OF G.B.F.-NADLAN'S PLAN, ADDING THAT THE 
MUNICIPALITY IS ONLY DEVELOPING THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF NOF 
HASHARON. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
 
¶6. (C) CIA METHODOLOGY DEFINES A NEW SETTLEMENT AS ISRAELI 
CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTION IN THE WEST BANK THAT MEETS AT LEAST 
TWO OF THE FOLLOWING THREE CRITERIA: 1) BE MORE THAN HALF A 
MILE FROM AN EXISTING SETTLEMENT; 2) REQUIRE INDEPENDENT 
ACCESS TO A MAJOR ROAD; AND/OR 3) HAVE A DIFFERENT 
IDEOLOGICAL AFFILIATION THAN A NEIGHBORING SETTLEMENT. THE 
COMMUNITY OF NOF HASHARON MEETS THE FIRST TWO OF THESE 
CRITERIA.  IT IS MORE THAN TWO MILES FROM ALFE MENASHE AND 
REQUIRES A 15-MINUTE CIRCUITOUS ROUTE, CROSSING THE 
SEPARATION BARRIER TWICE AND TWO ARAB VILLAGES, TO REACH ALFE 
MENASHE. ACCESS TO A MAJOR ROAD COMES THROUGH NIRIT, A TOWN 
INSIDE THE GREEN LINE, NOT THROUGH ALFE MENASHE. BY THIS 
DEFINITION, THIS CONSTRUCTION REPRESENTS THE FIRST NEW 
GOVERNMENT-APPROVED, NON-CONTIGUOUS SETTLEMENT SINCE 1991. A 
NEW SETTLEMENT WOULD ALSO BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE GOI'S 
ROADMAP COMMITMENTS. ALLOWING THE CONSTRUCTION AT NOF 
HASHARON TO PROCEED UNCHECKED COULD ENCOURAGE OTHER 
DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES TO PROCEED WITH SIMILAR DEVELOPMENT 
PLANS. END COMMENT. 
 
WALLES