Israel Matzav: Israel to stop helping to build 'Palestinian institutions'

Israel to stop helping to build 'Palestinian institutions'

Thus far, Israel has been playing along with 'westernized' 'Palestinian' 'technocrat' Salam Fayyad's plan to establish 'Palestinian institutions' of 'statehood' even though Fayyad has announced that his ultimate goal is to declare statehood in a year and a half, ready or not, with or without Israel's agreement. Now, amid accusations that Fayyad is inciting violence (well, how else did you expect a unilateral declaration of 'statehood' to have any meaning), Israel is having second thoughts.

Israel believes, the official said, that Fayyad wants on the one hand to continue cooperating on a professional level with Israel on economic issues as well as the training of PA forces in Jordan, but at the same time has made a strategic decision to retain the right to use violence against Israel.

“We need to remember that Fayyad’s ultimate plan is to unilaterally declare statehood within a year and a half if negotiations do not reach an agreement by then,” another official said. “The current cooperation between Israel and the PA is assisting the Palestinians in establishing the institutions that Fayyad will use one day to show the world that he is ready to declare statehood.”

As a result, the political establishment will likely need to decide, in the near future, if it will continue assisting the Palestinians in establishing these institutions, particularly in light of the Palestinian refusal to restart peace negotiations with the Netanyahu government.

On the other hand, the IDF supports continued security cooperation with the PA, whose forces have been doing an effective job in cracking down on Hamas in the West Bank.

At the same time, though, there is concern within the IDF that, while unlikely, the PA security forces could turn their weapons against settlers and IDF soldiers in the West Bank. Recent incidents include the stabbing of a soldier at the Tapuah Junction by a PA policeman as well as the involvement of PA security officers in the shooting of Rabbi Meir Chai, a father of seven from Shavei Shomron late last year.

It's long past time for Israel to stop cooperating with Fayyad. The IDF should have learned its lesson from the last 'intifada' in which one of the first incidents consisted of a 'Palestinian policeman' murdering his Israeli patrol partner. If the 'Palestinians' are going to insist on using violence (as they inevitably do), they cannot be our partners.

Israel Matzav: Israel to stop helping to build 'Palestinian institutions'