Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., December 03, 2007 Kislev 23, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:15 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

Members of the Palestinian security forces hugging after their graduation ceremony from the police academy in the West Bank town of Jericho on Sunday. (Reuters) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 20:13 02/12/2007 EU-trained women join PA police ranks in latest West Bank reform By The Associated Press Tags: PA police, West Bank, EU  The first class of Palestinian policewomen to complete a new EU-sponsored training program graduated Sunday, part of a broader European Union makeover of the demoralized and ill-equipped Palestinian law enforcement agencies. The 45 rookies will join a small group of women serving in a role still largely frowned upon in conservative Palestinian society. Their duties will include traffic patrols, house searches and carrying out security checks on women at prisons and institutions such as universities, police spokesman Adnan Dameree said. Advertisement He did not have a breakdown of how many women currently serve in the West Bank, but said that before the June takeover of the Gaza Strip by the violent Islamic Hamas group, the overall number of females in the Palestinian civil police was just 500, out of 18,700 men and women officers cited in EU data. Colin Smith, head of the EU mission training the Palestinian police, said improving training for women was an integral part of plans to build a police force that meets all challenges and will support all members of the community. Arms swinging, backs ramrod straight, the new graduates marched across the academy's parade ground in the desert oasis of Jericho. The women, many with Islamic headscarves under their police berets, wore blue shirts, black pants and combat boots. One of the spectators, excitedly snapping souvenir pictures of her cadet sister, was Amal Abu el-Leil, 37, from Askar refugee camp in the northern West Bank, herself a veteran policewoman. "The hardest thing is to wear a uniform and patrol the streets," she said. "Even after 13 years of service, I still suffer from people not really accepting the sight of women police." Helping outweigh those concerns was the prospect of a steady job for a woman without a high school diploma, in a place where unemployment runs at about 30 percent. Eleen Taweel, 25, said joining the police force has been her dream since childhood. You can't imagine how happy and proud I am now that I am officially a policewoman, she said Bookmark to del.icio.us Big heart The organs of an IDF soldier were donated to five people in Israel and Germany. Settler harassment Palestinians in the West Bank said settlers threw stones at a boy and stole his donkey.   1.   IS PA a Jewish News Agency 19:27  |  KMS 02/12/07   2.   good for them! 20:55  |  Leona 02/12/07   3.   Hahaha...official hijab uniform. Clowns. 20:56  |  SLAVO 02/12/07   4.   #1 KMS That Hamas is a violent terror group is a widely accepted 21:10  |  Marwan مروان خوري 02/12/07   5.   #2 Leona`s blame the victim mentality 21:26  |  Marwan مروان خوري 02/12/07   6.   Saudia Arabia needs to take notice 22:56  |  Uday 02/12/07   7.   Why are they dressed like Islamists? 23:02  |  Susan 02/12/07

Today Online In nod to Abbas, Israel frees another 429 Palestinian prisoners Responses: 139 Akiva Eldar: Avigdor Lieberman's settler friends can relax Responses: 68 Report: Israel's disabled worst off in Western world Responses: 41 Officials: Extraordinary measures used on 17% of Gazan inmates Responses: 38 U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons work in 2003 Responses: 19 Rosner's Domain Clinton was for it before he was against it (or vice versa) / WTR The new Jews who actually love their Shabbat services Poll: So, was the Annapolis meeting a success? "Anyone who shows contempt for Bush - not serious person," says Olmert More Headlines 20:31 U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons development in 2003 22:01 Most Arab MKs boycott special Knesset session commemorating partition plan 22:02 U.K. Muslim group ends boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day 21:32 In Syria, chief PA negotiator promises to coordinate on peace talks 15:54 Rehavam Ze'evi assassin jailed for two life terms plus 100 years 21:32 PM: High Arab turnout at Annapolis summit was a 'big achievement' 21:22 Israel releases 429 Palestinian prisoners in gesture to Abbas 19:11 Ben-Zvi Institute calls for return of Aleppo Codex fragments 17:34 PM: Ability to implement all home front improvements is limited 17:37 PA: Dozens of Hamas charities dismantled in West Bank Previous Editions Select Day 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov

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