Secretary of State of the United States Anthony Blinken demanded from the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Abu Mazen At their meeting yesterday to adopt and implement an American security plan aimed at restoring the Palestinian Authority’s control over Jenin and Nablus, which have become hotbeds of terrorism, Barak Ravid reported this evening (Wednesday) in Walla! from senior American and Israeli officials.
The fear of a security escalation in the West Bank: Egypt’s demand from the Palestinian Authority
“Everyone must take steps to prevent escalation”: Blinken concludes his visit to Israel
According to the report, President Biden’s administration is looking for ways to stop the escalation in Judea and Samaria, fearing that it will lead to an explosion and degenerate into a third intifada. Senior American and Israeli officials see the loss of security control of the Palestinian Authority in northern Samaria as a major reason for the escalation. In the last three years there has been a gradual process of weakening the Palestinian Authority and its security mechanisms – especially in the cities of Jenin and Nablus in northern Samaria.
This process took place in part following steps by the Netanyahu government and the Trump administration during 2020 that led to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority and the suspension of security coordination with Israel for several months. The economic crisis in the PA, the corruption and the general disgust of the Palestinian public towards the PA led to a decrease in its legitimacy and in the motivation of the Palestinian security forces to use their power against unruly elements.
The result was the takeover of the city of Jenin by armed militias identified with the Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and also Fatah members who do not accept the authority’s orders. Later, a similar phenomenon occurred in Nablus, albeit on a smaller scale, in the form of the Gov Aryot group. c ‘Nin and Nablus have become a base for attacks against soldiers and settlers in the West Bank as well as for attacks inside Israeli territory.
It was also reported that during the meeting between Blinken and Abu Mazen in Ramallah, the American Secretary of State emphasized to the Palestinian President that the most important step the Palestinian Authority needs to take to curb the escalation is to adopt and implement a security plan formulated by American security coordinator General Mike Fenzel – according to senior American and Israeli officials.
The American and Israeli officials said that General Fenzel’s plan includes an outline for the Palestinian Authority to regain control of Jenin and Nablus. The plan includes the establishment of a special Palestinian force that will be trained and sent to these two cities to confront the armed militias and subdue them. Penzel presented his plan to the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
While Israel expressed support for the plan, the Palestinian Authority presented a series of reservations and did not give a positive answer. Sources familiar with the issue said that the Palestinians resented the fact that the plan does not place any demands on Israel, such as reducing IDF activity in Area A. “We cannot operate during the day when the IDF kills people at night,” the Palestinians told the Americans.
According to sources who comment on the issue, the Palestinians claimed that the plan is not compatible with the way their security mechanisms operate, which is also based on negotiations and not only on the use of force. Also, the schedule that the Americans set as part of the implementation of the plan was very short and the Palestinians claimed that in order to carry out such a move they needed additional time to train public opinion.
In addition to putting pressure on Abu Mazen regarding the security plan, Blinken urged the chairman of the Authority to resume security coordination with Israel, which the Authority announced last week had been suspended. The intelligence chiefs of Egypt and Jordan who met with Abu Mazen shortly before Blinken conveyed similar messages to him. Abbas refused to comment on the matter, and the US State Department also refused to comment.
At a press conference on Tuesday, at the end of his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Blinken said that he had heard some ideas about steps that both sides could take, and that, if they took place, would help reduce tensions. “The immediate task is to lower tensions and stop the violence. Both sides should avoid steps that will add more fuel to the fire,” Blinken said.
Blinken said that the person responsible for the Middle East at the US State Department, Barbara Leaf, and the Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs, Hadi Amar, will remain in the region to discuss with both sides the promotion of practical steps that each of them can take that will lower the level of the flames, strengthen cooperation and improve the security situation .