2a. Strengthening Security Cooperation—
The PA broke off security cooperation with Israel earlier this year,
despite warnings of impending terrorist activity. Palestinian security
officials refused to meet Israeli counterparts and failed to exchange
intelligence information. Recently, security cooperation has improved
slightly, but the PA has refused to restore previous levels of cooperation.
2b. Incitement to Violence Against Israel—
Senior PA officials have repeatedly engaged in incitement to violence
against Israel. They have praised Hamas and the Intifada, threatened Israel
with war, and accused Israel of injecting Palestinians with the AIDS virus
and poisoning Palestinian food products. More than 30 such statements made
by senior PA officials are documented in the report.
2c. Combat Systematically and Effectively Terrorist Organizations and
Infrastructure—
The PA has taken no steps to outlaw terror groups, whose infrastructures
remain intact. The PA Chairman gave a green light to terror groups to act.
On the night of March 9, 1997, Arafat met with the heads of Hamas, the DFLP
and the PFLP in Gaza, and signaled his consent for the renewal of acts of
terrorism. Eleven days later, 3 Israelis died in a Hamas bombing in Tel
Aviv on March 21, 1997.
In mid-July 1997 it became clear that the Palestinian police have been
actively involved in terror. Israeli intelligence has confirmed that
Asst.-Cmdr. Jihad Masimi of the PA police in Nablus has ordered attacks,
that there are several terror cells in the Palestinian police, and that
there are strong indications that Palestinian Police Chief Ghazi Jabali is
involved.
2d. Apprehension, Prosecution and Punishment of Terrorists—
Not a single terrorist has been tried by the PA for terror activity against
Israel in the past 6 months. The PA has drafted numerous terrorists to
serve in the ranks of the Palestinian security services, including at least
23 wanted for the murder of Israelis. The PA Police Commander has
acknowledged that more than 150 members of Hamas and the PFLP are currently
in key positions in the Palestinian police. Since the signing of the
accord, the PA has conducted a "revolving door" policy and released dozens
of terrorists from detention, including:
Muhammad Khawaja, a senior Islamic Jihad leader who planned the January
1995 Beit Lid bombing; Nabil Sharihi, an Islamic Jihad member who helped
prepare the bomb used in the April 1995 Kfar Darom attack in which 7
Israelis and 1 American were killed;
Imjad Hinawi—a Hamas member who took part in the murder of 16-year old
David Boim in Beit El in May 1996; and Muhammad Bathran, Islamic Jihad
member responsible for a June 1996 terror attack in Bidiya in which
off-duty Israeli policeman Meir Alush was killed.
2e. Transfer of Terror Suspects to Israel—
On March 31, 1997, Israel submitted 31 requests to the PA for the transfer
of terror suspects. Thus far, the PA has failed to hand over any of the
suspects. Of the 31 terror suspects whose transfer is being sought by
Israel, 11 are either serving in the Palestinian police or are in the
process of joining its ranks. Among those being sought are: Ibrahim Alkam ,
Abdel Nasser Alkaisi and Ibrahim Hani, wanted for the murder of Etta Tzur
and her 12-year old son Ephraim on December 11, 1996; Bassam Issa—
involved in the terror attack on Yoel Solomon street in Jerusalem on
October 9, 1994 in which two people were killed; and Hisham Salim Dib, who
was behind the suicide bombing attack at Dizengoff Center on March 4, 1996
in which 13 people were killed.
2f. Confiscation of illegal firearms—
No public campaigns have been undertaken by the PA to confiscate illegal
weapons from individuals or groups, nor have any major sweeps been made to
collect weapons. As a result, virtually none of the tens of thousands of
weapons circulating in the autonomous areas have been collected by the PA
in the past six months. Five illegally armed groups continue to operate in
the areas under the PA's control: 1) Hamas; 2) Islamic Jihad; 3) Fatah; 4)
PFLP and 5) DFLP.