The security arrangements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), established in the 1993 Oslo Accords, have reportedly continued in previous weeks despite the PA’s torpedoing of peace talks by signing a unity deal with Hamas.
That all might change however, after a senior PA official told Walla! that the security arrangements are on the brink of collapse following the massive violent Arab protests on Thursday for “Nakba Day,” commemorating the “catastrophe” of Israel’s establishment.
During the course of the protests, two Arab rioters were killed as they besieged Ofer Prison, located just outside Ramallah, with 150 other rioters, demanding the release of jailed terrorists. There, as in locations throughout Judea and Samaria, rioters hurled rocks and burning tires at IDF forces. While the PA apparently saw no problem in its failure to prevent the massive violent attacks opposing Israel’s existence, the death of two rioters seems to have been enough to threaten the status quo.
The PA official said the deaths have brought a strong pressure on the PA leadership to immediately stop the security arrangements with Israel.
The source added that before “Nakba Day,” discussions were held between Israeli and PA security forces but were unable to prevent the casualties. After the riots, he remarked that Israeli security sources promised the PA to investigate what caused the deaths, but dismissed the proposal, saying “it doesn’t matter anymore.”
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction and other organizations are demanding that the security forces cut ties with Israel, according to the source, saying “we don’t want an escalation, but understand that the situation on the ground is about to blow up.”
“We can act to calm the feelings, but one bullet is enough to set everything ablaze again,” the source claimed, going on to accuse Israel for the situation by refusing to adopt a freeze on construction in Judea and Samaria.
“If the situation will continue like this, we’ll give you the weapons of the security forces and please, come take care of the situation yourselves,” stated the official, echoing Abbas’s threats to disband the PA and expose Israel to international lawsuits.
IDF sources refused to directly address the PA official’s words, but warned that a cancellation of the security arrangements would harm the PA, and harm the financial situation of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria.
It is worth noting that in the unity deal, Hamas has claimed that the PA’s police forces will be integrated into Hamas’s police in Gaza, while Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Al-Zahar angrily denied allowing Hamas to be integrated into the PA side of law enforcement.