Israel Allows PA Policemen to Carry Arms in Effort to Restore Quiet
Israel authorized today Palestinian Authority policemen to carry arms in order to control the anarchy raging in a number of cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. It is the first time since violence erupted nearly four years ago that Israel has agreed to allow Palestinian police in the West Bank to have weapons. Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz approved the decision Thursday, saying he had decided "to take the advice of security personnel that chaos in certain Palestinian areas may become uncontrollable."
Mofaz's decision stirred outrage and fury among Israel's right wing. MK Ehud Yatom of the Likud party said that the arms authorization should be carried out on a smaller scale and time span, in light of "bitter past experience". On the other hand, Likud MK Gideon Ezra, who has opposed the distribution of arms to Palestinian forces under the Oslo agreements, expressed support for Mofaz's decision this morning. "They want to combat, or try to combat, the anarchy. When they approach us, and their request serves the population and doesn't cause any harm, there is no reason not to grant permission," he said. Mofaz refuted claims that his decision to allow certain PA policemen to carry arms will endanger the lives both of soldiers deployed in the West Bank and Israeli settlers, saying that it was intended to strengthen "positive elements" in the Palestinian security forces who are keen on restoring law and order.
Egyptian Generals Visit Israel to Discuss Security Issues
A delegation of senior military officials from Egypt, including several generals, visited Israel this week and discussed ways to prevent arms smuggling from Egypt to Gaza and facilitate the implementation of the disengagement plan, HA’ARETZ reported. Discussions with Israel on the smuggling issue are progressing, but Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is ignoring vigorous Egyptian demands to conduct genuine reforms in the Palestinian security forces.
The meetings between both Egypt and Israel are aimed at coordinating their security efforts so the disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank does not slide into chaos and more fighting. Heading the Israeli side was Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, now the civilian head of the Defense Ministry's Political-Security Department. Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman, who has been handling the Palestinian issue for the Egyptian government, headed the Egyptian side.
Israel has agreed to allow 130 Border Patrol inside the border between Egypt and Gaza for the first time since Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accords in 1978. Egypt, however, has not taken steps to do so. A partial success of the cooperation between Egypt and Israel has been an improvement in Egyptian actions against arms smugglers.
No Immediate Plans to Link Ma'aleh Adumim to Jerusalem
Israel has no immediate plans to expand Ma'aleh Adumim or build a new neighborhood that would link it to Jerusalem, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told U.S. National Security Council's Senior Director for Near East Affairs Elliott Abrams on Thursday, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Sources in the Prime Minister's Office said Sharon told Abrams that the plan to build a neighborhood between Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem, called E-1, was approved about a decade ago when Yitzhak Rabin was prime minister. Although infrastructure work has taken place over the past few months, Sharon said there were no immediate plans to build the project, which he said was not a residential neighborhood rather a tourist area that would include hotels.
The Defense Ministry approval of another 600 housing units in a different section of Ma'aleh Adumim came up briefly in the 75-minute discussion, with Sharon telling Abrams that this was also nothing new.
Israel and the United States are still in the midst of defining what is meant by a "settlement freeze" and where construction in the settlements will be permitted.
Abrams also discussed with Sharon Israel's commitment to remove the unauthorized settlement outposts. Sharon told Abrams that a Justice Ministry official, Talya Sasson, had been appointed to deal with the various legal aspects involved in dismantling the outposts.
Israel Reopens Rafah Border Crossing
Israel reopened this morning the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip allowing some 1,500 Palestinians to head home after being stranded for three weeks, HA’ARETZ reported. Israel closed the international border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on July 19, due to intelligence reports suggesting Palestinian factions were tunneling under the crossing and planning to blow it up. During the closure period, troops conducted thorough searches in the region but no tunnel was uncovered. Hundreds of Palestinians who were trying to get home through Egypt were stranded in the desert facing severe hardships. Israel opened another crossing nearby, but Palestinians refused to use it because they would have been required to pass through Israel to get home.
The Rafah crossing will be open for extra hours today and Saturday to allow the hundreds of people to return home as quickly as possible. The decision to reopen the crossing was one of a series of steps Israel is undertaking in a bid to ease local and regional tensions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Other News in Brief
* Israel Defense Forces thwarted a terrorist attack in Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip early this morning, THE JERUSALEM POST reported. Soldiers monitoring the area detected two men trying to break through the security fence and fired shots at them. One of the men was killed but the other managed to flee the scene. The area was searched, and an explosive device was found.
[Today's Israel Line was prepared by Victor Chemtob, Ehud Tal and David Prince at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.]