Does Israel Really Want To Strengthen Abbas?

M. J. Rosenberg, Israel Policy Forum, 31/08/07. Any deal that is perceived as a device to empower Fatah while cutting out its opponents will be blown up, literally, by Hamas and others. The name of the game should be empowering Abbas by reaching a deal with him that Hamas will feel pressured by Palestinians to support. The only way to be rid of Hamas is to truly empower Abbas, without making him look like he is, as one Hamas spokesman put it, the Israeli government minister in charge of Palestinian affairs.

A good deal allows each party to feel (rightly or wrongly) that it is a winner. The sure recipe for failure is to use an agreement as a bludgeon against a party whose opposition would kill it. Does Israel really want Abbas to succeed or, as in the past, is it satisfied using Hamas as a pretext to avoid dealing with the issue of borders, settlements and Jerusalem for another generation? We'll know soon.

full text

---

MJ Rosenberg is the Director of Israel Policy Forum's Washington Policy Center.
If you have colleagues or friends who would appreciate receiving this weekly letter, or you would like to unsubscribe,
send an e-mail to: ipfdc@ipforumdc.org

Copyright 2007 Israel Policy Forum. All Rights Reserved.

National Office: 165 East 56th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212.245.4227 | Fax: 212.245.0517 | ipf@ipforum.org Washington Office: Tel: 202.347.3811 | Fax: 202.347.6130 | ipfdc@ipforumdc.org Israel Office: 43 Emek Refaim Street, Suite 10, Jerusalem Israel 93141 Tel: 972.2.561.7258 | Fax: 972.2.561.7437

Field Report:: Violations Against Civil Society Organizations and Trade and Popular Unions

Violations Against Civil Society Organizations and Trade and Popular Unions Between 11 and 20 June 2007 in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Jointly submitted by Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and Al-Haq. Attacks_on_Civil_Society_en.pdf The Palestinian civil society organizations have played a distinguished role in the Palestinian society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the time of the Ottoman regime in Palestine. Palestine is unique in that civil society organisations predate the establishing of the national government, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The work of civil society in Palestine forms a natural response to occupation, its policies , Fimpact on society. Civil society provides assistance to the Palestinian people, including relief work in the agricultural, health and social fields, sponsored voluntary activities and working on political detention issues including defending victims. Moreover, it exposed the serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law by the Israeli occupation. Following the creation of the PNA, the number of civil society and charitable organizations operating in Palestine increased and played an important role during the second intifada. During this time, civil society organisations played a monitoring role and/or supplemented the work of official institutions. They have been fast in reaching victims and providing relief services, as well as providing treatment to the wounded. At the same time, civil society continued it work in advocating for the victims of human rights violations, and reviving Palestinian popular heritage.

Recentlly, the continued deterioration of internal security and escalation of the conflict for power between Fateh and Hamas led to a wide-spread and comprehensive attack, launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades [the military wing of Hamas], against the offices of the security forces belonging to the PNA, and institutions affiliated or closely related to Fateh, in the Gaza Strip. The attacks began on Tuesday 12 June 2007 at 11:20am when the Al-Qassam Brigades besieged the headquarters of the first and second brigades of the National Security forces, previously the offices of the [Israeli] civil administration, in the east of Jabalia camp. The attacks ended in the evening of Thursday 14 June 2007 with Hamas taking control of the positions and headquarters of the security forces and the President's office.

During and after the confrontations, the offices of civil society organisations, popular and trade unions and some women’s organisations working in Gaza Strip were targeted. The damages ranged from looting of furniture and other assets, including papers and official documents and burning the organisation’s premises, through to taking control of the organisations and attempting to impose new criteria on their work.

These actions not only took place in the Gaza Strip but rapidly extended to the West Bank. Members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades [an armed group affiliated to Fateh] and Fateh activists attacked civil society organisations and offices belonging to Hamas, close to it, or supervised by people close to Hamas, resulting in damage to these organizations and their assets.

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and Al-Haq jointly produced this report monitoring the recent violations against civil society organisations in the Palestinian Territory. One of the messages of this joint report is the re-affirmation of the historical and political unity of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in a response to the growing political divide and at a time when the Israeli occupation is imposing geographical separation. Here, it is worth noting that the report only highlights violations against the offices of civil society organisations, popular unions, trade unions and women’s and political organisations. In the report Al-Mezan Center and Al-Haq do not address violations committed against dozens of governmental institutions, including ministries, courthouses and headquarters of security, police and national security forces. The report highlights the violations to which civil society organisations have been subjected regardless of the perpetrators. Both Al-Haq and Al-Mezan condemn all forms of attack against civil society organisations, in all cases, as unjustified acts that deprive Palestinians of the services offered to them by these organisations.

Fatah men, including Zbeidi, turn in their guns in amnesty deal

Aluf Benn, Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents. 15/07/07. Scores of wanted Fatah militants in the West Bank have turned in their weapons, under an arrangement in which Israel will grant them effective amnesty as a gesture to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Most of the fugitive militants have signed documents that announced their resignation from the paramilitary organization and a promise to refrain from terrorism. As of Saturday night, nearly 150 of the 178 militants had signed the document. Scores of them had turned in their weapons by Sunday.

The Prime Minister's Office, apologizing for an earlier denial, acknowleged Sunday that Zacharia Zbeidi, head of the Fatah Tanzim militia in the West Bank city of Jenin and one of the highest-profile Fatah commanders on Israeli wanted lists in the territories, is among the nearly 200 militants to whom Israel plans to offer amnesty.

Abu Obeida, a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, harshly criticized Fatah for the amnesty agreement, saying it was meant to destroy the spirit of the resistance and allow Israel to focus on Hamas militants.

The offer to clear the Fatah men from the lists of wanted fugitives is part of a package of measures which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is to formally present to Abbas in a meeting with the Palestinian Authority chairman on Monday. The gestures will also include a release of prisoners.

On Saturday, an Israeli official denied Palestinian reports that Zbeidi was on the list. But the Prime Minister's Office reversed course on Sunday morning, conceding that the reports were correct.

The effective amnesty would extend to nearly 75 percent of the wanted militants of the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.

Israel refuses to grant similar status to several dozens of the remaining known members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and there are Palestinian demands that they also be included in the deal. The list of the wanted members of the Fatah's military wing was prepared by the Shin Bet and was compiled following meetings between Israeli officials and a PA security delegation headed by Ziad Habrich, commander of the Preventive Security in the West Bank.

Anger over plan to let Hawatmeh return
Meanwhile, rightists and families of victims of terror attacks have reacted with anger to reports quoting Israeli security sources as saying they are inclined to allow the head of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Nayef Hawatmeh, to enter the West Bank on Wednesday, as part of the package of goodwill gestures.

Minister of Strategic Threats Avigdor Lieberman was quoted Sunday as saying that the aging Hawatmeh, whose organization was responsible for the killings of many Israelis in attacks going back more than three decades, should be allowed to enter, and then immediately arrested.

Families of the victims said Sunday that under no circumstances should Hawatmeh be allowed to return. DFLP militants carried out an operation against the northern town of Ma'alot on May 15, 1974, in which 22 schoolchildren were killed.

But Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Saturday that "We need to view the request of the PA Chairman regarding Hawatmeh's entry into the West Bank favorably, especially since it does not involve entry into Israel and it is for a limited period of time."

"Even though Hawatmeh dealt with terrorism in the past, under the current circumstances he is proving to be a person capable of contributing toward leading the Palestinians toward a more rational condition," Vilnai added.

At the scheduled Monday talks between Olmert and Abbas, a meeting which was orginally planned for Sunday, Israel will present the Palestinian leader with additional gestures, including entry permits to the West Bank for senior officials from the Popular and Democratic Fronts, as well as promises for lifting roadblocks in the West Bank - as soon as the necessary preparations are completed by the security forces.

"These are measures that we believe will contribute significantly to bolstering Abbas," a senior political source in Jerusalem said Saturday night. "They hold political risks for Olmert, but it is a reasonable risk."

The meeting between the two leaders will be held at the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem. In the original planning, Olmert had been scheduled to visit Jericho, but that has been postponed. No other ministers will be included in the meeting with Abbas, but earlier, Olmert will hold preparatory meetings with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The list of prisoners that are slotted for release includes 250 names, most members of Fatah, and the rest from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front (DFLP).

The adult prisoners scheduled for release have at least one year of their sentence left, while the minors have at least six months. Elderly and sick prisoners are also expected to be included.

"No once can claim that Israel is releasing prisoners that do not have significant portions of their sentence still to serve," a political source said.

A ministerial committee on the prisoners will meet Tuesday to approve the list, and initiate the process of releasing them, expected to take several days. Olmert would also like to gain the release of some of the veteran prisoners jailed before the Oslo Accords in 1993, as long as they were not involved in attacks that killed Israelis.

Referring to the PFLP, the DFLP, and other Marxist-Leninist offshoots of the PLO, the political source said that even though Israel is not certain what their views are on the internal power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, Israel would like to encourage them to support Abbas and the head of the PA's emergency government, Salem Fayad.

However, the General Secretary of the PFLP, Ahmed Sa'adat, who is in jail for his role in the October 2001 assassination of the leader of the Moledet party, Rehavam Ze'evi, is not on the list of prisoners to be released.

The effort to draw the various non-Islamist factions toward supporting Abbas is also behind Olmert's inclination to accede to the request of the PA chairman to allow the head of the DFLP, Hawatmeh, and other senior figures from his group and the PFLP to enter the West Bank.

Abbas would like these leading veteran figures in the PLO to participate in a conference that will offer his leadership and the Fayad government legitimacy. The gathering is expected to take place in the West Bank, and entry is likely to be allowed for a specific period of time.


The agreement with the Al-Aqsa fugitives includes four stages:

1. They will promise to refrain from terrorism and cut their links with the group.

2. They will spend a week in holding areas of the PA, where they will not be allowed to use cellular telephones or contact members of the group.

3. They will restrict their movements, for a three-month period, to the area where they reside.

4. After three months, they will be allowed to move freely in the West Bank.

"Our aim is to remove 180 persons from the list of targets of the Shin Bet, so that they can now focus on Hamas and Islamic Jihad," a political source said.

Hawatmeh likely to be granted entry

There are strong indications that Israel will allow DFLP leader Nayef Hawatmeh to enter the West Bank on Wednesday as part of the goodwill package toward Abbas.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/881764.html

The Zionist entity will pardon Fatah men

Ezzedin ALQASSAM Brigades Information Office. 14/07/07. [textual] Palestinian security sources reported on the existence of a list of "178" alleged that they are chased by the occupation and all of them are from Al Aqsa Brigades activists. The Zionist entity intended to stop chasing them in one condition that they sign a promise under supervision of the Palestinian security services to stop any activities or operations against the Zionist entity. Dayton government issued several decrees aimed to chase and arrest the resistance members. It arrested a large numbers of wanted men to the occupation forces in the late period. The sources said that among the "wanted" named Zakaria Zubaidi, one Dahlan's men, and he is responsible for the disturbance and chaos operations in the West Bank. The Zubaidi said he didn’t oppose the idea of resolving Al Aqsa Brigades and their integration into the security services. The price from the Zionist entity is to stop chasing them. He added that the Al Aqsa Brigades will not be an obstacle to any decision would be taken by the President Abbas, and Dayton government. The other conditions are the chaser is to stay at the headquarters of the security authority of Dayton for a week, without leaving without any activities, and stay for a week in known place in the area "A". It also included that after three months in the "A" areas, and not leave it to the "b" or other, and make sure stopping their military activities, the Zionist entity will allow them to move inside the Palestinian territories or travel abroad, according to the sources. http://www.alqassam.ps/english/?action=showdetail&fid=554

Olmert's Latest Gesture: Conditional Pardon for 178 Terrorists

Hillel Fendel. IsraelNationalNews. Sunday, Jul. 15 '07 29 Tammuz 5767. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to an arrangement whereby 178 wanted Fatah terrorists are granted amnesty, in exchange for their promise to stop terrorism. The 178 have already signed their commitment to cease engaging in terrorism against Israel.

The name of Zekarya Zubeidi, who has been wanted for many years for his terrorist activity against Israel, is on the list as well. The Prime Minister's Bureau clarified on Sunday morning that this was indeed the case. The Bureau even apologized for the "technical glitch" that led to the omission of his name in initial reports.

Representatives for Zubeidi signed this morning his commitment to stop terrorism against Israel.

Palestinian Authority sources say that many of the 178 will be eligible to receive up to 60,000 shekels for turning in their weapons. An M-16 rifle will net them 55,000-60,000 shekels, a Kalachnikov - 15,000 shekels, and a pistol between 12,000 and 24,000 shekels. The money is to come from the PA's coffers.

The PA will reissue weapons to many of the 178 who will join the PA's security forces.

The 178 terrorists will benefit from a trial period of three months in which they will not be arrested, unless Israel receives information that they are planning terrorism. If during the three months they do not engage in terrorism, they will be officially removed from the "wanted" list.

However, they apparently will not receive an official and irreversible pardon, such that if ever they return to terrorism, they will be liable to be tried on their previous crimes as well.

The Israel Law center (Shurat HaDin) has filed a petition with the High Court against the plan by Prime Minister Olmert to remove 178 Arab terrorists from the "wanted list."

The petition claims that the deal was made in secret with Palestinian Authority officials and ignores international law that requires Israel to bring to trial terrorists who have committed crimes against humanity.

Olmert also previously agreed to release 250 imprisoned terrorists, though their names have not yet been determined.

Reactions
Several Cabinet ministers are against some of Olmert's latest gestures. Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) said the mass pardons are a "grave error." He explained that he is remaining in the government in order to "minimize the damage done" by the government.

Trade Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) said that he is against gestures of this nature to Abu Mazen, explaining that Abu Mazen must make more efforts to help himself instead of relying on Israel to prop him up.

Welfare Minister Yitzchak Herzog (Labor) said Israel has no choice but to make difficult concessions in order to strengthen the "moderate" elements in the PA.

The Legal Forum, a group of attorneys who lobbied for civil rights of Gush Katif residents, has called upon Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann to object to what it calls the "laundering of the murderers." Forum Director Nachi Eyal says, "The government has reached new heights in proving the truth of the Sages' dictum, 'Whoever is merciful to the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful.' It was cruel to the youths in Amona and during the Disengagement, and is not closing their criminal files regarding their protests - and yet is now showing compassion to debased murderers. The message being given is an abuse of justice and the victory of the murderers over their victims."

In response to sharp criticism from the Likud for the amnesty plan, an official of the Prime Minister's office said Sunday, "The Likud has forgotten that in February, 2005 [then-ministers] Binyamin Netanyahu and Limor Livnat, both of the Likud, enthusiastically backed" moves to free Arab terrorists.