PLO Votes to End Security Cooperation With Israel

Slams Israel for 'Ongoing Non-Compliance With its Obligations'

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has voted to end all security cooperation with Israel, saying that they expect Israel to assume all responsibilities for the occupied territories, as required by international law.

Though President Mahmoud Abbas has not publicly commented on the matter, he is reported to support the PLO’s decision, which would suggest he’s going to follow through on the security split.

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians has been rising for years, of course, but has recently come to a head over Israel’s decision to seize Palestinian tax revenue and the state-owned Israeli power company’s decision to shut down power to Palestinians in the West Bank for non-payment that happened because the tax revenue was already seized.

Increasing desperation about the lack of progress on statehood has led many Palestinian leaders to suggest that dissolving the Palestinian Authority outright might pressure Israel to resolve the situation.

Under international law, an occupying power is required to provide basic services for the civilian population under occupation. The PA was intended to be a stop-gap solution for handling those services in anticipation of Palestinian statehood, but with that process stalled, many see the PA as essentially making the protracted Israeli occupation more convenient for the occupiers.

And cheaper. The biggest point in favor of dissolving the PA has been that it would be expensive for Israel to replace the entire PA infrastructure for basic services to the occupied Palestinians, and that cost would be another strong incentive for Israel to make a final peace deal that grants them self-determination.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.