The Palestinian Authority will receive 25 armored vehicles for use in PA controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, a gift from Russia. Permission for the transfer was given by Israel during a meeting between the two Thursday night. An additional 25 will be supplied if the first shipment is “properly used,” Israeli officials said.

Russia has been attempting to transfer the vehicles to the PA for several months, but until Thursday's meeting Israel had refused to permit the transfer. Israel's permission for such transfers is required by the Oslo agreements. PA sources said that Israel had opposed the transfer because of the PA and Russia's insistence that automatic weapons be installed on the vehicles. Israel agreed to permit the delivery after Russia agreed to ship the vehicles without the weapons.

Mks on the right bitterly criticized the proposal when it first cropped up last year. “The prime minister will be personally responsible for each Jew that will be harmed [from the PA's use of the vehicles against Jews], and he will be put on trial for crimes against the Jewish people," MK Aryeh Eldad (NU-NRP) said.