A top Biden administration official who visited Israel this week called on Jerusalem to improve its security relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) amid growing concerns that the PA would collapse.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, Hady Amr, also told senior Israeli security officials and military brass the Biden administration expects Israel to take measures to boost the flailing Palestinian economy, an official close to the matter told the Times of Israel
Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet security agency, this week warned Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu earlier that if the PA collapses, it could greatly harm Israel’s security.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the PA security forces to enforce law in the West Bank. This includes terror centers Nablus, Jenin and Nablus. In recent weeks, extensive raids by the IDF have taken place in these areas, killing many terrorists responsible for a series of attacks on Israelis.
While PA security forces have assisted in thwarting terror attacks and have made several arrests, their cooperation with Israel has been heavily criticized – both by many on the Palestinian side, who believe the joint efforts constitutes “normalization” with Israel, and by some right wing Israelis, who don’t trust them.
Sen. @TedCruz said Americans and Israelis will be murdered as result of the Biden administration’s decision to send hundreds of millions of dollars to Palestinians during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Sunday. https://t.co/k5mdInqKj1
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 12, 2021
Some PA members have proven to be terrorists.
Last month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah deputy, Mahmoud Al-Aloul, admitted PA security forces were fighting alongside terrorists.
A month earlier, an Israeli soldier was murdered by a member of the authority’s intelligence forces.
Bezalel Shmotrich of Religious Zionism, the party’s head, won 14 seats at the most recent elections. He has asked for an end to security cooperation as well as the dismantling the PA.
According to a media watchdog, the Palestinian Authority commemorated the anniversary of the deadly attack on Jerusalem’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem with an increase in its monthly payments. https://t.co/z8JT80IhSw
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 1, 2022
He has also said that as part of the new government – in which he hopes to serve as defense minister – he will work to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
Thomas Nides, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, criticized Smotrich’s appointment as next Defense Minister.
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