Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., August 09, 2007 Av 25, 5767 | | Israel Time: 11:42 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Real Estate Arts & Leisure Jewish World National Sports Advertising
Magazine Week's End Opinion Business Rosner's Domain Anglo File Travel
Q&A
Members of security forces loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas march at their barracks in the West Bank town of Jenin last week. (AP)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 08:56 08/08/2007
PA presses for arms shipments said needed to stave off Hamas
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff

Less than two months after Hamas tattered the rule of its rival Fatah faction in the Gaza Strip and took control of the area, the Palestinian Authority - under Fatah leader Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - is once more requesting large shipments of weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles.

This time, the PA is seeking Israel's approval for shipments from Egypt and Jordan, intended for the West Bank. Israel has not yet answered and has reservations about some of the requests.

Th
Advertisement
e PA had made similar requests in the months before Fatah's collapse in the Gaza Strip. Israel refused most of the demands, but agreed to allow Jordan to supply Fatah's forces in the Strip with over 5,000 AK-47 and M-16 semi-automatic assault rifles. Some of these rifles apparently ended up in the hands of Hamas militants, following the organization's violent seizure of power last June.

The new Palestinian wish list includes armored cars, jeeps, machine guns, several thousand rifles plus millions of rounds, bullet-proof vests, stun grenades and additional combat gear. The PA argues that it needs weapons to preserve Fatah's rule and to deal with coup attempts by Hamas. Abbas' cabinet also cites the need to restore order in West Bank cities. The armored cars, for example, are needed for crowd dispersal.

The Palestinians are seeking to purchase the weapons from Egypt and Jordan. They are relying, among other funds, on an $80 million grant that the United States had recently granted the PA's security forces. However, the coordinated shipments require Israel's approval.

Jerusalem's reservations pertain primarily to the armored cars despite Israel Defense Forces assessments that the vehicles could be easily eliminated in case of conflagration between IDF troops and the Palestinians. The defense establishment noted that the vehicles would be hard to conceal and serve as obvious targets.

Israel had already allowed then PA chairman Yasser Arafat to operate several such armored vehicles following the Oslo Accords of 1993. They were later destroyed by the Israel Air Force after the second intifada erupted in September 2000.

Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, the American security coordinator in the region, is meanwhile spearheading the American restructuring plan for the Palestinian security forces. Dayton's efforts included a recommendation to the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to initiative a significant upgrade in the training of Fatah-affiliated forces in the West Bank. He is also advocating training one of the Palestinian National Security force's battalions for crowd dispersal.

The Palestinians have offered the Americans to set up a new training base for the Palestinian National Security force in Bethlehem. The Americans, however, have reservations about the proposal, as even the current training base in Jericho is operating under a partial program. One of the reasons for this partial program is the lack sufficiently knowledgeable instructors. Instructional equipment and weapons are also in short supply. Additionally, the Palestinians are complaining that Israel is imposing strict restrictions on training in the Jericho facility.

Israeli government officials look quite favorably on some of the Palestinians' plans for upgrading security forces in the West Bank.

The defense establishment, however, is generally much more skeptical. Security officials in Israel point out that Dayton had been overconfident about Fatah's ability to stave off Hamas in the Strip until the very end of Fatah's rule there.
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Do not panic
It is ridiculous to claim that Friedmann's proposal undermines the legal system.
Lucky number seven
Six Israelis will compete in Beijing for a seventh national Olympic medal.
  1.   Why does Israel supply its enemies with weapons? 05:23  |  Jon 08/08/07
  2.   give them paint ball guns 05:54  |  vik 08/08/07
  3.   Give them nothing 06:10  |  Chick 08/08/07
  4.   Jon - Not Israeli Weapons 06:24  |  Mark of Lewiston 08/08/07
  5.   The report is a proof that Israel foreign policy and counter terr 06:50  |  Joseph E . 08/08/07
  6.   Stave off Kadima and PA , Kick them out ,Hamas neede not armored 07:07  |  Joseph E . 08/08/07
  7.   If you want to stave off Hamas in the West Bank , 07:12  |  Joseph E . 08/08/07
  8.   What are they up to? 09:46  |  EyeOnPal 08/08/07
  9.   SYSTEM SHOULD BE TO TAKE ARMS AWAY FROM HAMAS 10:15  |  Robert 08/08/07
  10.   THE WORLD IS NOT LINEAR 10:25  |  FOX 08/08/07
  11.   Let`s put this alongside Barak`s latest musings 10:58  |  Johnboy 08/08/07
  12.   Johnboy-# 11-Frustrated? 11:25  |  Daniel Leopold 08/08/07
  13.   Jordan must assume its responsabilities 11:36  |  Daniel Leopold 08/08/07
  14.   #12 Yeah, Daniel Leopold, I certainly am 11:56  |  Johnboy 08/08/07
  15.   It is all a waste of money 12:01  |  El-Birawi 08/08/07
  16.   The Lesser of Two Evils 12:02  |  Dree Mer 08/08/07
  17.   #13 Daniel Leopold`s Great Big Plan 12:03  |  Johnboy 08/08/07
  18.   Arms and Alarms 13:26  |  Ronnie Wolman 08/08/07
  19.   A bullet has no conscience 13:43  |  Hannah the good 08/08/07
  20.   El-Birawi: Philosphy More Important 13:57  |  Ronnie Wolman 08/08/07
  21.   The Johnboys vs. El Birawi 13:57  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  22.   Ronnie about El Birawi 14:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  23.   #21 No, Margie, I spelt it out in #14 14:29  |  Johnboy 08/08/07
  24.   Israel CANNOT support a Palestinian war 14:35  |  Kate 08/08/07
  25.   Johnboy 14:48  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  26.   #23 Johnboy - A really fair deal 14:50  |  Kate 08/08/07
  27.   Typical Zionist schizophrenia 14:53  |  Axel 08/08/07
  28.   Margie and Pinnochio: Puppets and Strings 14:57  |  Ronnie Wolman 08/08/07
  29.   PA will use those weapons against Israel after the 15:00  |  Joseph E . 08/08/07
  30.   21margie in TA,your siren song to El Birawi &Johnboy,who is quite 15:30  |  lakshmi 08/08/07
  31.   Lakshmi - you`re just a Johnboy 15:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  32.   #23 Johnboy 16:21  |  Labhras 08/08/07
  33.   For almost a year 16:28  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/07
  34.   #30 Lakshimi - A state of mind 16:39  |  Kate 08/08/07
  35.   No weapons for Abbas 16:42  |  Benny 08/08/07
  36.   31margie in TA it`s called wishful thinking! 16:42  |  lakshmi 08/08/07
  37.   haretz why no post? you zionitsi i try again now 17:23  |  hamdi 08/08/07
  38.   To rebel Hamas 17:25  |  emad matahin 08/08/07
  39.   Give them what they ask for, except machine guns 17:32  |  Tosefta 08/08/07
  40.   Lakshmi 17:54  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  41.   Tosefta - reports of attacks 18:23  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/07
  42.   #30, 39 The Real Hamas Need Not Stand Up 18:25  |  Kate 08/08/07
  43.   Why do they need these arms? 18:52  |  FOX 08/08/07
  44.   margie in TA wrong,kate,sorry,Labhras greetings! 18:56  |  lakshmi 08/08/07
  45.   Kate 19:08  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/08/07
  46.   Unification (Mark Lincoln #40) 19:09  |  Tosefta 08/08/07
  47.   Save some money.... 19:19  |  Webster 08/08/07
  48.   41Kate,dear,you`ve got it backwards,Hamas was a social service 19:31  |  lakshmi 08/08/07
  49.   #43 Lakshmi Re your post to MinTA 20:00  |  Labhras 08/08/07
  50.   Oops then they forgot and gave them to... 20:13  |  lilly 08/08/07
  51.   PA presses for arms shipments said needed to stave off Hamas 20:31  |  Martin List,M.D. 08/08/07
  52.   Yeah right!!! 20:58  |  Daniel 08/08/07
  53.   Solve the issue with math! 21:37  |  Ken 08/08/07
  54.   To Ken #53, and Geometry 22:16  |  Dyinglikeflies 08/08/07
  55.   PA DID NOT EVEN USE THERE WEAPONS THEY GIVE IT AWAY TO HAMAS. 22:34  |  TIME TO THINK 08/08/07
  56.   Margie #22 23:13  |  GABE1 08/08/07
  57.   Tosefta - unification sans Hamas 23:20  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/07
  58.   49Labhras,if you go to Maan News you`ll find some interesting 01:06  |  lakshmi 09/08/07
  59.   mathematics 02:08  |  Esther Thomas 09/08/07
  60.   Lakshmi, can we comment on Maan News website like in Haaretz? 02:16  |  Genuine Tosefta 09/08/07
  61.   57Mark Lincoln,T, is right about Hamas wanting the Unity 03:36  |  lakshmi 09/08/07
  62.   Tosefta - Maan 05:11  |  Mark Lincoln 09/08/07
  63.   #25 Margie reads into things only what she wants to read 05:11  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
  64.   Time to Think - they didn`t give them away 05:12  |  Mark Lincoln 09/08/07
  65.   Lakshmi - Fatah Al Yasser 05:17  |  Mark Lincoln 09/08/07
  66.   #24 Kate the Destroyer 05:25  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
  67.   #32 Point taken, Labhras 05:36  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
  68.   Supplying P.A. with weapons is criminal negligence causing bodily 06:21  |  Chaim 09/08/07
  69.   Johnboy #63 08:14  |  Gil62 09/08/07
  70.   John boy 08:31  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 09/08/07
  71.   Arming the enemy#68 to Chaim 09:17  |  Esther Tomas 09/08/07
  72.   #69 I don`t speak for Lakshmi Gil62 11:15  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
  73.   #70 Margie points out something... 11:39  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
 Today Online
Israel Harel: The Arabs' war against the Jews is ideological, not territorial
Responses: 14
Shlomo Shamir: The disobedience of the ultra-Orthodox
Send response
Israel sends conciliatory messages to Damascus
Responses: 24
U.S. university heads slam U.K. boycott of Israeli academe
Responses: 29
Editorial: Israel can't miss this opportunity to end the conflict
Responses: 128
Rosner's Domain
* Judges can be annoying creatures
* Guest: Good to have many American Jews in politics
* WTR: Reopening the Jewish question
* Blog and Poll: Clinton, Giuliani, Bloomberg and The Israel Factor