Ramallah- There are those who wonder, especially outside Palestine, about the reasons for the absence of the Palestinian Authority security services in responding to the occupation and settler attacks in the West Bank, and the question has become more urgent after the Al-Aqsa flood battle and the continuation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip since last October 7.
The answer is linked to more than one factor, but the basis for it is the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995) between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which divided the West Bank into areas, the least of which are subject to Palestinian control, and the majority of which are under Israeli control, in addition to the absence of political will, according to analysts.
On more than one occasion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened the Authority’s security services, and said in statements leaked by Israeli media about him to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on December 12 of this year – that Israel is ready for a scenario in which its forces turn the barrels of rifles and direct them towards the Authority’s forces. .
In addition to the police force, which was exclusively established in the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority has other agencies, most notably national security, intelligence, and preventive security.
Oslo restrictions
Among what the Oslo Accords stipulate is that “the police are responsible for dealing with public order issues involving Palestinians only” and that “both parties (Palestinian and Israeli) take the necessary measures to prevent acts of terrorism, crime, and aggressive acts directed against the other party, or against individuals.” are under the authority of the other party.”
The agreement, which was supposed to be interim for 5 years and paved the way for the establishment of the Palestinian state, divided the West Bank lands into three sections: “A,” “B,” and “C.”
Area “A” constitutes about 17.5% of the area of the West Bank, and it is the city centers and is subject civilly and security-wise to the Palestinian Authority, but it has not been so since the invasion of the West Bank in 2002, while Area “B” constitutes about 18.5% of the territory of the West Bank, which is the suburbs of the cities and their rural extension, and it manages its affairs. Civilian authority and security subject to occupation.
About 92% of Palestinians live in “A” and “B”, as they are considered densely populated areas, while the Oslo Accords kept more than 60% of the West Bank lands under Israeli civil and security control in areas classified as “C”, which are witnessing demolition, displacement and settlement operations that increased after October 7.
National doctrine
Tel Aviv Tribune Net called the spokesman for the security services, Major General Talal Dweikat, to obtain an answer about their role in confronting settler attacks, but he did not answer his phone, so I resorted to a previous interview with him conducted by Palestine TV.
When the broadcaster asked him about the voices questioning the doctrine of the security services, Dweikat replied, “Palestinian security does not need testimonies from anyone regarding patriotism and belonging (..) and has sacrificed more than two thousand martyrs, and we have more than 300 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment.”
He continued, “The vast majority of members of the security services are former prisoners who spent decades in occupation prisons,” adding, “We have a deep affiliation to this country.”
Regarding the reality of the security services in light of the Israeli escalation, Dweikat said, “The conditions of the Palestinian people inside the West Bank today are difficult, and there is dismemberment of their connections, and each governorate cannot communicate with its villages, and the governorates cannot communicate with each other.”
He continued that large numbers of members of the security services “are exposed to the policy of harassment and are unable to join their duties… and there is an exaggeration in describing the situation of Palestinian security in the West Bank, as if we have a large army, and we possess equipment and weapons, and we stand by and watch. This is a great injustice to Palestinian security.”
Absence of will
The divisions caused by Oslo prevented the presence of Palestinian security services in most areas of the West Bank, according to the founder of the “Youth Against Settlement” group, Issa Amr, who told Tel Aviv Tribune Net, “There are no security services in Area C, and the services cannot play their role in protection, whether against crime.” Or against the settlers.
He explained that one of the reasons for its absence – in confronting settler attacks – is the lack of political will, especially since the security services can, in civilian clothing and popular methods, confront settlers in the form of organized groups that stand in solidarity with the people and give them a sense of security.
Amr points out “the impact of the agreements and security coordination (between the Authority and Israel) and the lack of personal motivation among members of the security services and their feeling that the occupation is stronger than them, and that what they offer may be in vain.”
He spoke about the impact of “rampant corruption in the leadership and lack of trust, which led to a gap between the leadership and even among members of the security services.”
What applies to confronting settler attacks also applies to confronting the Israeli army’s incursions into Palestinian cities. According to Amr, “There is direct coordination between the occupation and the Palestinian agencies to maintain the security situation, direct coordination for every incursion.”
He continued, “There are arrests of opponents of the authority facilitated by the occupation forces for the Palestinian security services, the most famous of which is the arrest of oppositionist Nizar Banat from an area under Israeli control.”
Despite the Israeli escalation in Gaza and the West Bank, Amr suggested that there is security coordination between the two sides, and said that it “has not stopped, but rather is ongoing and may be increasing.”
On January 26, the Palestinian leadership announced that security coordination with the Israeli occupation government “no longer exists” following an Israeli massacre in the Jenin camp.
Option available
For his part, Palestinian writer and political researcher Jihad Harb explains that the role of the security services is part of an agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel.
He pointed out that the movement of security services from one area to another requires – in accordance with the agreements – coordination with the Israeli army so that armed security and police personnel in uniform are not subjected to arrest or shooting.
Regarding the justifications for the agencies not intervening to protect citizens, he explains that settler attacks are mostly in Area C and few of them are in Area B where there are no Palestinian security centers, in addition to the fact that the quality of armament of the security services is light compared to the armament of the occupation army and the settlers.
However, Harb believes that the Palestinian security services can work without uniforms and weapons, “as if something similar to protection committees would be formed between the security services, local councils, and municipalities, with some of them being members of those agencies, with clear working hours and shifts.”
He said that the presence of these committees, even if they are unarmed, helps in early warning of any settler attacks, especially in areas of constant friction and flammability.
He stressed, “Citizens’ need for someone to protect and defend them. With such a step, integration occurs between the security institution and citizens, and residents can survive, protect their lands, and harvest olive trees.” He added that such a step requires attention from the security establishment and a political decision.