maandag 22 september 2008

150 PA soldaten worden in Hebron gestationeerd volgens 'Jenin model'

 
Ondanks klachten van de Palestijnse Autoriteit dat Israel de PA tegenwerkt en geen ruimte geeft om zelf tegen Hamas op te treden, heeft Israel toegestemd om het experiment van Jenin uit te breiden naar Hebron, ondanks de grote spanningen tussen kolonisten en Palestijnen aldaar. Hoewel de resultaten in Jenin bemoedigend zijn, is enig Israelisch wantrouwen wel op zijn plaats, gezien de ervaring dat de PA verdachten van (geplande) aanslagen op Israelische doelen vaak weer snel vrij laat, men terroristische groepen niet serieus ontwapent en plegers van aanslagen als 'martelaren' blijft eren. Ook in Jenin zijn in maanden tijd bijvoorbeeld maar 800 geweren ingezameld en werden gearresteerde verdachten niet veroordeeld en snel weer vrijgelaten (zie citaat Haaretz hieronder).
 
Dat Israel desondanks toestemt in toepassing van dit model in Hebron en er plannen liggen dit ook naar Tul Karm uit te breiden, is dan ook zeker een teken van goede wil te noemen.
 
RP
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"Since the beginning of the year, the PA has collected only about 800 weapons, about 80 of them rifles from Jenin. That's a drop in the bucket, relative to the amounts still hidden, which will undoubtedly be pulled out of the caches in case of a renewed conflagration with Israel...Then of course there is the question of the prisoners. The revolving-door policy of arrests and releases continues."
Jenin: From terror capital to model of peace, by Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz - Last update - 20:27 20/09/2008


IDF to mull 150 PA soldiers in Hebron
 
 
In an effort to bolster Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as he nears the end of his presidential term, the IDF will meet this week with Palestinian security chiefs in the Hebron area to finalize plans for the deployment of 150 Palestinian Authority soldiers in the city.

Abbas is scheduled to finish his term as president on January 9, 2009 and in the absence of new elections - due to the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip - Abbas, according to the PA constitution, will be replaced by the speaker of the PA parliament, Abdel Aziz Dweik, a senior Hamas official currently in an Israeli prison.

Abbas, however, is not expected to step down from his post and is looking for ways to extend his term. The IDF and the PA are concerned that Abbas's refusal to hand over the reins could set off violent clashes in the West Bank between Fatah and Hamas.

As a result, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni has agreed to allow a platoon of 150 Palestinian soldiers to deploy in Hebron, where they will be used by the PA to crack down on Hamas operatives and infrastructure in the city, known for its strong Hamas presence.

Defense Ministry officials had initially opposed the deployment in Hebron, out of fear that the presence of armed Palestinian soldiers would escalate tensions with the Jewish settlers in the city. Palestinian assurances that the soldiers will not patrol areas near the Jewish community paved the way for Shamni's approval.

Col. Udi Ben-Muha, commander of the Judean Brigade, which is responsible for security in Hebron, is expected to meet this week with local Palestinian security commanders to coordinate the planned deployment.

The request to deploy soldiers in Hebron was made by Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayad and is based on the "Jenin model," under which Palestinian troops deployed in large numbers in the city earlier this year and the IDF scaled back its operations in the vicinity.

In addition, Israel eased travel restrictions in northern Samaria and has started allowing Israeli Arabs to visit Jenin in an effort to rehabilitate its weakened economy.

If the Jenin and Hebron programs continue to produce results, the Defense Ministry may expand the program to Tulkarm.

On Thursday, 500 PA soldiers crossed over the Allenby Bridge into Jordan for US-funded military training.

While officials in the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) claimed that terrorists were still present in the city, the number of terror warnings in Jenin have dropped drastically in recent weeks and the officials admitted that the PA forces are doing a relatively effective job in cracking down on Hamas institutions.

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