From: Center for Policy Research <cpr>
Subject: Rabin and his Palestinians kapos


Rabin's plans for a Palestinian police

(from The Other Front, Alternative Information Center,
Jerusalem, 5 May 1993)

"The decision to view the setting up of a local police force 
for (sic) the Palestinians as the central issue for 
deliberation at the peace talks to be resumed next week - 
even before subjects like elections in the territories and 
areas of juridiction in the framework of autonomy - is a 
sign of the Israeli government's serious attitude towards 
the peace process.

"The setting up of a police force is not part of the 'gesture 
package', but deals with the very heart and substance of 
the Palestinian struggle for national identity. As it turns 
out, the main objective guiding the prime minister in the 
setting up of a Palestinian police force - and apparently 
also supported by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres - is to 
ensure the holding of democratic elections in the 
territories."

Thus writes Amnon Barzilai in his editorial (Israeli daily 
Hadashot, 23 April), and his position articulates the 
thinking of most of the commentators who dealt with this 
issue in the past two weeks. Over against them stand the 
settlers and rightwing parties, who also interpret the 
decision to encourage the establishment of a Palestinian 
police force as a significant step towards the instituting of 
real autonomy, something which will restrict what can be 
done by the Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza 
Strip. With a variety of demonstrations, including street 
theater on 'What will happen when there is a Palestinian 
police force', rightwing elements are attempting to 
frighten the Israeli public and to pressure Rabin to go 
back on his decision. Members of the Kach movement 
have even begun to organize a 'settler police force' in the 
Occupied Territories, as counter-balance to the future 
Palestinian police force.

However, as Barzilai points out, the main function of the 
new police force - as far as the Israeli government is 
concerned - has nothing to do with the settlers, over 
whom they will apparently have no authority, but will 
control political groups within the Palestinian population, 
whom the government is interested in neutralizing. 
Writes Barzilai:

"...According to ideas currently taking shape, the setting 
up of a local police force in the territories will precede, 
not only the stage of electsion, but also the final stages of 
the preparing of the interim autonomy agreement.

"The willingness of the Israeli government to set up a 
local Palestinian police force is evidence that the 
government is serious about arriving at a settlement with 
the Palestinians..."

It's no wonder that the Palestinian public is also greatly 
worried about this new Israeli initiative. And it is 
inevitable that pressure will be brought to bear on Faisal 
Husseini and the rest of the delegation members, from a 
variety of directions, to refuse the gift which Rabin would 
like to give them. But at this stage, it looks like the 
Palestinians are cooperating in the fulfillment of his 
plans.
