Doc's Talk: Israeli distrust of the Palestinian security services

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Israeli distrust of the Palestinian security services

Yoni Ben - Menachem - Israel Radio 26.07.10 - 11:31
[Translation by IMRA]
www.iba.org.il/bet/bet.aspx?type=285&entity=662613&page=292

Israeli security forces show great suspicion toward the Palestinian security apparatus in the West Bank despite the fact that they battle Hamas and were trained by the U.S. General Dayton. Israel assesses that a scenario of another armed intifada in the West Bank is possible and that the Palestinian security apparatus might act against the settlers and IDF soldiers On May 17 this year Central Commander Avi Mizrahi said at a regimental exercise conducted at the national training center at Tze'elim that the IDF must be prepared also to have an escalation in fighting against Palestinian security personnel trained in Jordan by U.S. General Dayton .

He added, stressing: "This is a force trained, better equipped with an
American mentor and the meaning is that at the beginning of combat, the
price we pay will be higher. Such power can close down an built up area with
four snipers, it's deadly. It is no longer the gunmen of Jenin.It is an
infantry force standing in front of us and we must take that into
consideration. They have the ability to attack and we do not expect them to
raise their hands. "

The central commander's comments were published but not very prominently in
the Israeli press.

These are important things that reflect the suspicious attitude of the
Israeli defense establishment to the Palestinian security apparatus in the
West, despite all the words of praise for how the Palestinians "calmed" the
area and their determined batle against Hamas.

Israel is still licking its wounds and therefore does not believe the
Palestinians.

So, too, it causes long delays of 50 armored vehicles entering the West Bank
from Jordan's designated for the security mechanisms of Mahmoud Abbas. They
were provided to the Palestinian Authority by Russia but Israel will not
allow their entry into the West Bank.

That's why those who know the area and read today the U.S. comptroller's
report criticizing the government of Israel that it "harms training of
Palestinian security forces in the West Bank", were not surprised at all.

The Israeli government may indeed hurt the military training of
Palestinians, but she is convinced that it maintains the security of Israeli
citizens.

Acording to the sharp American report, published by Ha'aretz, Israel is
preventing the establishment of terror warfare units, delays the transfer of
equipment to the West Bank Palestinian security forces including small arms,
ammunition and walkie-talkies.

The report also stated that the IDF checkpoints in the West "interfere with
free movement of American military advisers in the West Bank

From all the above the following picture emerges:

The Israeli defense establishment is convinced that the great danger lies in
the strenghtening of the Palestinian security services.

Such strengthening, accompanied by arming with weapons, allows the
Palestinians to establish the nucleus of the future Palestinian army. Israel
it is known is prepared to have set up alongside a demilitarized Palestinian
state without an army that threatens the security, only with strong internal
security forces to preserve the Palestinian government.

But also until a Palestinian state be established, the assessment of the
Israeli defense establishment is that if the Palestinian security
apparatuses are too strong it would be a serious danger to Israel's
security.

The IDF still remembers how quickly turned the guns provided the Palestinian
police at IDF soldiers in the events of the Hasmonean Tunnel in 1996 and the
role of armed Palestinian police officers during the second Intifada in 2000

They just become, in seconds, from the "police" to "armed terrorists".

You can not forget how when the second intifada began joint patrols were
stopped by the IDF after the Palestinian police attacked IDF soldiers who
were in joint patrol with them.

And of course we remember well, the activities of "general intelligence
apparatus in the West Bank led by Taufiq Tirawi and the Preventive
Intelligence apparatus in Gaza led by Muhammad Dahlan and Rashid Abu Shabak
planned and carried out attacks against settlers and IDF soldiers in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip immediately after the failure of Camp David Summit

There are many examples of terrorist activity of Palestinian security forces
against Israel, another famous episode is the arrest of Colonel Muhammad
Damra called "Abu Awad" by Israeli security forces.

He served as commander of the Presidential Guard (Force 17) in the West
Bank, which is the special power to protect the Palestinian Authority
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and was at the top of the IDF's wanted list and was
responsible for terrorist attacks, including the Fatah organization's al -
Aqsa' Martyrs Brigades against Israel.

Thus, despite the intense activity of the Palestinian security services
against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank today and their security
cooperation with the Shin Bet and the IDF, Israel is ready to strengthen
them only in a controlled manner.

The reason is obvious ...

It's all a matter of interests.

Palestinian security manages an all-out war against radical Islamic
organizations in the West Bank for one simple reason:

To prevent them from toppling the regime of Mahmoud Abbas, as they did in
the Gaza Strip.

They take care of the chair of Mahmoud Abbas and not Israel's security.

This activity contributes to the relative calm and security of Israeli
citizens in the West Bank but it is a side effect.

What will happen when thei interests change?

For example, what if Fatah and Hamas organizations were going to reconcile
and in light of the impasse in the political negotiations with Israel will
decide to open another armed intifada against Israel?

The answer is clear, the Palestinian security apparatus will not hesitate
for a moment ....

All the experience acquired by military training by U.S. General Dayton and
all arms and ammunition in their possession, which received the approval of
the IDF, will be diverted immediately to war against Israel.

We've been in this before.

New scenarios considered in the IDF are worse than what happened during the
second Intifada. Palestinian security forces were trained by members of the
general Dayton from the individual to battalion level.

The Palestinian troops have been trained to battle in urban areas and in
conquering strongholds..

They have the ability to conquer one of the small settlements or IDF
outposts.

Therefore the considerations of our security system are correct as are the
words of Central Command Avi Mizrahi

Confidence in the Palestinian security services should be limited and they
should be under the constant Israeli review.

"Those burned by boiling water, is also careful with warm water."

This caution is proper and over time unfortunately we will find we were
right. We're just at the beginning of the new film.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
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Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

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