Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 05TELAVIV816, ANOTHER WEST BANK AMCIT SETTLER'S ACCOUNT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #05TELAVIV816.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05TELAVIV816 2005-02-10 10:14 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Tel Aviv
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000816 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR NEA/IPA, CA/OCS/ACS/NESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC SOCI KWBG IS SETTLEMENTS ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS ISRAELI SOCIETY
SUBJECT: ANOTHER WEST BANK AMCIT SETTLER'S ACCOUNT 
 
Ref:  (A) TEL AVIV 000346 
 
1.   (SBU) On 24 Jan 2005 Conoff spoke with an American 
citizen resident of the West Bank settlement of Elkana.  The 
American citizen was at the Embassy in Tel Aviv renewing the 
U.S. passports of her children and was willing to discuss 
the subject of life in Elkana. 
 
2.   (SBU) The American citizen is the mother of five U.S. 
citizen children.  Her husband is an Israeli.  Two months 
ago, the family moved from Jerusalem to the West Bank 
settlement of Elkana.  Elkana is located about four 
kilometers east of the Green Line and due east of Tel Aviv. 
She said the settlement has a population of about 750 
families. 
 
3.    (SBU) When asked why the family chose to move to a 
settlement at this time, she cited pragmatic reasons nearly 
identical to those cited by the subject of reftel A.  She 
said the family could afford a large house with a yard in 
Elkana, whereas in Jerusalem, they could only afford a small 
apartment.  Again, as did the subject of reftel A, she 
pointed approvingly to the close communal atmosphere of the 
settlement and cited the "quality people" of Elkana, most of 
whom, she said, are college graduates.  (Comment:  The 
observation that settlement residents are "nice" is a 
recurring one.  One American citizen resident of the West 
Bank settlement Karnei Shomron compared these communities to 
small towns in the American mid-west.) 
 
4.   (SBU) Furthermore, she said that Elkana has all the 
conveniences one might expect in a developed Israeli town, 
including a big supermarket and an excellent public library. 
Echoing the sentiment of the subject in reftel A, she said 
that Elkana is a suburb of Tel Aviv, with convenient access 
to the new north-south toll road, Highway 6.  Evidently in 
an effort to emphasize this point, she professed not to be 
certain that Elkana is indeed east of the Green Line at all. 
Elkana is, however, on the Israeli side of the separation 
barrier, a fact that she acknowledged is very important to 
her. She is worried that the route may be altered to 
Elkana's detriment. 
 
5.     (SBU) A significant advantage to life in Elkana, in 
her opinion, is the quality education her children receive 
in the settlement schools.  She said the religious schools 
her children attend are publicly funded and "always better" 
than secular public schools. 
 
6.    (SBU) She denied having personal ideological reasons 
for moving to Elkana.  Her husband, on the other hand, was 
primarily motivated by ideology.  Her husband and children 
faithfully attend anti-disengagement protests and rallies. 
She said the Elkana schools provide the children with free 
busing to these events. 
 
KURTZER