Israeli Military Operational Ties With PA Weakening

Palestinian Security Forces Not Letting Israeli Troops Raid Cities at Will

by Jason Ditz, December 18, 2012

Israeli military official are quietly expressing concerns about their weakening operational relationship with Palestinian Authority security forces, saying that recent incidents have underscored their worsening ties.

According to military sources quoted in the Israeli press, PA security forces have prevented the Israeli military from “routine” raids into Palestinian cities, forcing at least two such raids to be cancelled. Officially, the military denies this, but military sources say that the incidents are particularly troubling to the higher ups.

It is perhaps unsurprising that this should be the case, however, as relationships between Israel and the PA in general have soured, and the Israeli government’s decision to seize several months worth of tax money means a lot of these PA security forces aren’t going to be getting paid.

Israel has long planned for a split from its “collaborative” relationship with the PA, and has fought to keep them from getting particularly well armed by the international community. Thus while officials say they will avoid clashes over the “routine” raids, they will likely retain the option of attacking cities outright when they really want to get the military inside.

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