VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #3088/01 2981141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251141Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3840
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0530
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 8246
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 003088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/ROSENSTOCK/PECCIA; NSC FOR 
ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IS KPAL KWBG
SUBJECT: BRITISH EMBASSY'S NOTE VERBALE TO ISRAEL ON EAST 
JERUSALEM 
 
REF: A. TEL AVIV 03027 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 141005 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Below is a the text of the Note Verbale the 
British Embassy delivered to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs regarding Shepherd's Hotel and Mufti's Grove in East 
Jerusalem.  The Note was passed to the Israeli Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs on Friday, October 19, and provided to us by 
the British Ambassador. 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  (Begin Text) 
 
NOTE VERBALE No. 106/2007 
 
For the Attention of the Western European Division 
 
 
 
Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy presents its compliments to 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel and 
has the honour to acknowledge the Ministry's Note of 14 June 
2007 concerning the Shepherd's Hotel, in response to the 
British Embassy non-paper dated 1 May 2007. 
 
The Embassy would be grateful for the assurance that no 
planning application had been submitted regarding the 
construction of a new complex on the site of the Shepherd's 
Hotel near the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem. 
 
The Embassy would be grateful if it could be notified of any 
change in this position, and notes that any planning process 
would include the opportunity for affected parties to raise 
their concerns and objections. 
 
By way of illustration of the security concerns mentioned in 
the 1 May non-paper, the British Embassy notes that the 
presence of other settlements in the area does not already 
cause disruption to the Consulate-General, especially when 
vehicle and people access to the area around the settlement 
is restricted.  In addition, there have been isolated 
incidents of settlers throwing stones at Consulate-General 
vehicles. 
 
In this context, the British Embassy would like to express 
concern about recent press reports and NGO reports that an 
area of land opposite the Shepherd's Hotel, known as the 
Mufti's Grove, has been expropriated on 1 April this year, 
and that the Palestinian owners of the land are challenging 
the expropriation in court.  NGO sources have indicated to us 
that the expropriation was carried out with the intention of 
eventually using the land for a new settlement. 
 
The British Embassy would be grateful if the Ministry could 
provide clarification on whether this land has indeed been 
expropriated, and their understanding of the purpose behind 
such an expropriation.  Should there at any stage be a 
proposal for the construction of a settlement in the Mufti's 
Grove area, the Embassy would be grateful for an assurance 
that, as in the case of the Shepherd's Hotel, there would be 
an opportunity to register concerns ahead of the granting of 
planning permission.  The British Embassy would also like to 
reiterate its position of principle that all settlement 
activity in East Jerusalem is illegal under international 
law. 
 
Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy avails itself of this 
opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 
the State of Israel the assurance of its highest 
consideration. 
 
 
 
BRITISH EMBASSY 
TEL AVIV 
 
19 October 2007 
 
(End text) 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
JONES