PA Crackdown in the West Bank to what end?
JVL Introduction
For the last month, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been actively engaged in Jenin Camp and elsewhere in the West Bank to stop armed resistance to Israel’s occupation. This New Arab article also provides useful background, not least to the Oslo Accords – now more than 30 years old. Both this article and the Guardian’s (‘This is basically a civil war’ ) of 6th January consider that one reason for this is the PA’s desire to demonstrate its ability to rule Gaza.
Under the Oslo Accords, the PA only has a security role in 18% of the West Bank, eg PA police must be escorted by Israeli forces across the c 61% of the West Bank that Israel fully controls to go from one town the PA “controls” to another. (There is a further 21% of the West Bank where the PA has civil but not security responsibility). In practice Israeli forces enter towns technically under PA control at will.
The PA’s role was largely dictated by those Oslo Accords (see eg The Oslo Accords: History and Impact – Middle East Policy Council). Its co-operation with Israel, originally as a path to the creation of a government for a Palestinian State, has produced many good people but, it could e argued, that the PA’s failure to end the occupation is part of the reason for the resurgence of armed resistance.
As the Guardian notes: “Under (Abbas’) watch, a corrupt, repressive and ineffectual ruling class has emerged that has proved unwilling or unable to combat Israeli settlement expansion and the rising tide of settler violence in the West Bank. The PA is hated by much of the Palestinian public but supported by pragmatic elements of the Israeli political and defence establishment and western donors, who fear a power vacuum if it collapses.”
LL
This article was originally published by New Arab on Thu 2 Jan 2025. Read the original here.
Will the Palestinian Authority's West Bank crackdown backfire?
Analysis: In a bid to demonstrate power, the PA’s violent crackdown in the West Bank reinforces its illegitimacy as a partner in Israel’s military occupation.
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Let’s be straight, the Oslo Accords are dead. The Palestinians Authority was set up as a soft-buffer broker between the Zionist Occupier and the dispossessed Palestinians. It is the Occupiers military force in “Palestinian Authority” Uniform’s. The reason for the PA no longer satisfies the current situation vis-a-vis the West bank. With Zionist bulldozers tearing up basic infrastructure in places like Jenin and Tulkam, Occupation “soldiers” raiding Palestinian Homes, kidnapping children and protecting settler thugs deliberately destroying farm land: the PA has no answer and has had no answer for some time. Instead, it is doing to places like Jeni what the Zionists are doing to Gaza. It hasn’t got the air power, but it has cut off electricity and water supplies, and allegedly shot a young child and his Mum, who were collecting water. The PA are an obstacle to defending the West Bank. The PA is an ineffective rump which has lost whatever respect and authority it may have had. The young Palestinian men, determined to fight for their freedom in their own land, are not going to accept the PA doing to them what the Zionist bulldozers and soldiers are doing to them on a daily basis. The leadership of the Palestinians in the West Bank wont be imposed from above. Its become obvious, just by watching the live-stream genocide across the occupied terriotry of Palestine.
The Oslo accords are dead. It is a great pity that Palestine did not come into being after the 5 years. Despite the efforts of the Israeli Peace Now activists and Palestinian peace campaigners the violence continued. I find it perplexing that the PA seems to be trying to keep to the spirit of Oslo despite Israel refusing to recognise Palestine. I hope and pray that peace and justice will prevail in 2025.
Shalom.
When I read the article it was like a kick in the stomach. I still feel physically sick at yet another burden for Palestinians to deal with.. and this time from other Palestinians.. before commenting I went away and did some searching and was increasingly horrified.. if I feel a devastatingly visceral empty sick feeling at just reading it.. what must Palestinians be feeling at what can only be described as betrayal and being used as collateral damage for these Palestinians personal gain… I’d like to thank Neil G .. his erudite explanation was my impetus to do the searching, as my initial response to the article was confusion and shock.