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Future Palestinian policemen? Hamas holds a press conference. (AP file photo)
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02/16
Khaled Abu Toameh, The Jerusalem Post |
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners February 16, 2005 |
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About 350 Palestinian former fugitives will be integrated into the Palestinian Authority security forces in the near future as part of an agreement reached between PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and leaders of Palestinian militant factions, The Jerusalem Post reported. PM Ariel Sharon had agreed not to pursue them as long as they pledged not to return to terrorism.
The militiamen, who are on Israel's list of wanted terrorists, belong to various terrorist groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It would be the first time that members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad would serve in the PA security forces. The two groups are responsible for most of the suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israeli targets over the past four years.
Abbas offered to absorb members of the armed wing of Fatah, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, into the security forces, but not all the gunmen have accepted the proposal. "The Palestinian Authority does not distinguish between the wanted men," he said. "They are entitled to join the security forces because of their involvement in the resistance."
Abbas, in a recent interview with The New York Times, said he was surprised that the armed militants, many wanted by Israel, embraced his candidacy. "All the fugitives came to me from all factions and said: 'We are for you. You were with us, and we want you to solve our problems,' " he said. They want real jobs in the security forces of the Palestinian Authority "and to be secure from Israeli assassination and attacks," he said. "I promised them, and now it is realized."
A Egyptian security delegation which visited the West Bank and Gaza Strip earlier this week engineered the deal. "The fugitives who will join the security forces belong to all the Palestinian groups and factions," PA Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Abu al-Naja said. "The move is designed to protect them against Israeli assassination attempts." Israel has said that it would not continue to target them as long as they avoid returning to terrorist actions.
A PA security official confirmed that the it had agreed to incorporate Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists after the terrorist groups demanded that their followers be recruited as policemen as a condition for accepting a "quiet" with Israel.
"There's no reason why Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen can't join the security forces," the official added. "They are part of the Palestinian people. The Israelis and Americans should be happy about this move, because it means that these men will stop all of their activities."
Former PA security minister Muhammad Dahlan said Tuesday that Abbas would take a number of important measures to enforce law and order in PA-controlled areas in the next few days. He said the measures included carrying out death sentences imposed on convicted murderers by PA courts. It was not indicated whether "murder" charges would apply to the killing of Israelis.
Referring to attempts by senior Fatah and PA officials to illegally seize lands to be evacuated by Israel in the context of the "disengagement" plan, Dahlan commented that "The era of gangsterism is over. Abu Mazen [Abbas] won't allow anyone to take control of one centimeter of the land of the settlements. Any official who thinks that he can take something by force will be arrested and punished."
Abbas discusses common interests with Hamas
In response to the Times reporter's question as to whether asked the Palestinian-initiated violence was a mistake, Abbas answered: "We cannot say it was a mistake. But any war will have an end. And what is the end? To sit around the table and talk. And they realize that this is the time to come to the table and talk and negotiate."
Asked by the Times if Hamas and Islamic Jihad shared his goals, he laughed and said: "No, of course they don't want what I want! They want to come to power if they can. For that they ran in municipal elections and after that they will go" to the legislative elections. And if they win, of course they want power. And it is their right. It is the competition" of democracy, he said.
Abbas argued that democracy would help steer the Islamic radicals away from terrorism. "Of course they should be converted into a political party," he said. "It's good for us. We're talking about national unity."
Abbas told the Times that he was not bothered that Hamas could construe the acceptance of Israel merely as a stage toward a Palestinian state, to be followed by a renewed desire to eliminate Israel. "Whether they consider it a stage or not, they will accept an Israeli state within the 1967 borders and they declare it," he said. "For me it is not a stage; for them it is a stage. O.K."
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