Hundreds of armed Fatah loyalists were deployed in Jenin Saturday as the newest and most trained members of the Palestinian Authority armed police force.
The deployment came as a result of authorization granted by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as a “good-will gesture” to the foundering Fatah-run PA and its chairman, Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas.
The 450 trained PLO veterans hail from Jordan and received training from United States General Keith Dayton and his men.
The IDF released a statement shortly after the deployment, saying, “This morning, approximately 450 Palestinian Authority personnel arrived at Jenin and north Samaria. The deployment was made after a number of coordinated meetings of different levels between IDF personnel and the Civil Administration with the Palestinians.”
The IDF statement qualified: “It is important to emphasize that the IDF did not pass the security responsibility in Jenin to the Palestinian Policemen, and will continue their coordination with the Palestinian Policemen in Jenin.”
Deployment Controversial
Several organizations, most notably terror victim associations and student groups, have come out against the training and deployment of additional PA police forces. In addition to the problem of Fatah controlling armed forces while it still maintains terrorist groups under its control, actual PA police have carried out terrorist attacks as recently as the past few months.
Ido Zoldan, a former resident of Homesh, was gunned down near Kedumim by a PA police officer. Off-duty IDF soldiers Achikam Amichai and David Rubin were also shot to death by a PA officer and PA Islamic court employee – who both took refuge at the PA’s Hevron headquarters immediately following the murders.
An armored vehicle given to Fatah when it controlled Gaza was recently used to overrun the Gaza border in a carefully staged bomb-attack on the eve of Passover two weeks ago by Hamas. Israel has authorized the transfer of several identical armored vehicles to Fatah by Russia to its remaining footholds in Judea and Samaria.
France Offers to Send Troops
France has offered its unsolicited assistance in the form of dispatching troops to Judea, Samaria and Gaza in the event that an international force is created to patrol those regions.
Left-wing groups and even MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) have increasingly called for international troops to be deployed in areas currently under control of Fatah and Hamas. Hamas rejects the idea, though Fatah officials have expressed interest.
Yehuda HaKohen of the student activist Zionist Freedom Alliance said, "This new Fatah force is a police force of gangsters who oppress their own people and kill our people. The only reason that they are being allowed to have an army is that their corrupt leadership [Abbas] is pursuing the agenda of the Bush administration to shrink and weaken the State of Israel. In this local conflict, both sides are being armed by the same western government. If western powers would stop interfering in our local conflict, maybe it will be easier to realize peace in our time."
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said France would be willing to take part in such an international force “when circumstances permit and if the parties so wish.” International forces under the command of the European Union were stationed at the Rafiah crossing between Gaza and Egypt following the 2005 Disengagement, but fled almost immediately following the 2007 Hamas takeover of the region. International forces are currently stationed in southern Lebanon, but even internal UN reports admit they have failed to stop weapons smuggling and terrorist activity in the area.
Attacks and Arrests in Judea and Samaria
A terror attack in the south Hevron Hills area was prevented Friday night when soldiers manning a checkpoint attempted to stop an Arab man who was acting suspiciously. The Arab ran away from the troops, who fired in the air, in accordance with directives for IDF soldiers. When the Arab refused to stop they fired and wounded him. The Arab, who was found to be carrying a large knife, presumably to be used in a terror attack, was taken to an Israeli hospital for treatment. He later died of his wounds.
Over the Sabbath, Arab terrorists in Gaza fired two Kassam rockets and six mortar shells at Israeli targets in the western Negev. No injuries or damage were reported in the attacks.
Arabs threw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli driver on Saturday night near the city of Bethlehem. The driver was uninjured.
Later at night, Arabs threw Molotov cocktails and stones at IDF forces near the city. The soldiers were not hurt in the attack. Soldiers managed to arrest two of the attackers.
IDF soldiers arrested three wanted terrorists in Judea and Samaria early on Sunday morning. The detainees were taken to security services for questioning. No injuries were reported.
Rice to Demand Removal of More Checkpoints
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she plans to pressure Israel to continue removing checkpoints in Judea and Samaria. In a conversation with journalists held on Saturday, Rice said she would discuss the checkpoints with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In addition, she said, she plans to investigate the “facts on the ground” to see whether or not Palestinian Authority Arabs are experiencing improved conditions following the removal of several checkpoints. Several checkpoints and dozens of roadblocks in Judea and Samaria have already been removed despite misgivings from some security officials.
Jews in Samaria Repel Arab Mob
Residents of the Arab village of Asira al-Kabalia clashed with Jews from the nearby town of Yitzhar on Saturday. According to local Jews and IDF soldiers who witnessed the incident, the clash began when dozens of Arabs began walking towards Yitzhar while setting fire to Jewish-owned fields along the way.
When the Arabs reached the Jewish town, the two sides began to fight. IDF soldiers stopped the clash. Nobody was arrested.
Arabs later claimed Jews entered Asira al-Kabalia, took to the rooftops and smashed vehicles and windows throughout the village with help from IDF soldiers.