Weekly Commentary: Abbas threatens not to honor Oslo? He already doesn't!
Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA 30 August 2015

In his address today to the United Nations General Assembly, Mahmoud Abbas
declared that as long as Israel is not committed to the Oslo Agreements that
the PA will not remain the only side honoring the agreements.

Interestingly, Abbas cited two specific demands:

#1. That Israel release the Palestinians currently in prison for engaging in
violence against Israel.

But the Oslo Agreements provide for the arrest, trial and incarceration of
those who engage in violence against Israel!

#2. That Israel stop settlement construction.

But as Palestinian critics of Fatah have noted, the Oslo Agreements do NOT
prohibit settlement construction!

The threat that the PA will not honor the Oslo Agreements is farcical
because they today do not honor the most critical elements of it.

The Agreements set clearly written limits, for example, on who has weapons
and what weapons they have,

And yet, today there are a multitude of armed groups both in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank - including armed groups of Mahmoud Abbas' own Fatah - in
gross violation of the Agreement.

And they have all kind of weapons that are in gross violation of the
Agreement.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The excerpts below present only a small portion of the commitments that the
PA has failed to honor:

Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Washington, D.C., September 28, 1995
HEREBY AGREE as follows:

CHAPTER 2 - REDEPLOYMENT AND SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS


ARTICLE XIV
The Palestinian Police
1. The Council shall establish a strong police force. The duties, functions,
structure, deployment and composition of the Palestinian Police, together
with provisions regarding its equipment and operation, as well as rules of
conduct, are set out in Annex I.
2. The Palestinian police force established under the Gaza-Jericho Agreement
will be fully integrated into the Palestinian Police and will be subject to
the provisions of this Agreement.
3. Except for the Palestinian Police and the Israeli military forces, no
other armed forces shall be established or operate in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip.
4. Except for the arms, ammunition and equipment of the Palestinian Police
described in Annex I, and those of the Israeli military forces, no
organization, group or individual in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip shall
manufacture, sell, acquire, possess, import or otherwise introduce into the
West Bank or the Gaza Strip any firearms, ammunition, weapons, explosives,
gunpowder or any related equipment, unless otherwise provided for in Annex
I.

ARTICLE XV
Prevention of Hostile Acts
1. Both sides shall take all measures necessary in order to prevent acts of
terrorism, crime and hostilities directed against each other, against
individuals falling under the other's authority and against their property
and shall take legal measures against offenders.
2. Specific provisions for the implementation of this Article are set out in
Annex I.


CHAPTER 4 - COOPERATION
ARTICLE XXII
Relations between Israel and the Council
2. Israel and the Council will ensure that their respective educational
systems contribute to the peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples
and to peace in the entire region, and will refrain from the introduction of
any motifs that could adversely affect the process of reconciliation.
...
Done at Washington DC, this 28th day of September, 1995.
________________________
For the Government of
the State of Israel
________________________
For the PLO

Witnessed by:
_______________________
The United States of America
________________________
The Russian Federation
________________________
The Arab Republic of Egypt
________________________
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
________________________
The Kingdom of Norway
________________________
The European Union

WEST BANK AND THE GAZA STRIP
Annex I
Protocol Concerning Redeployment and Security Arrangements
ARTICLE IV
The Palestinian Police
...
3. Deployment
a. During the interim period, the total number of policemen of the
Palestinian Police in all its branches in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
will be no more than 30,000 out of which up to 12,000 policemen may be
deployed in the West Bank and up to 18,000 policemen in the Gaza Strip.
These numbers may be changed by agreement, if necessary. The Palestinian
side will notify Israel of the names of the policemen recruited to the
Palestinian Police in the Gaza Strip.
...
d. The Palestinian side will notify Israel of any candidate for recruitment
to the Palestinian Police. Should Israel object to the recruitment of any
such candidate, that person shall not be recruited.
e. In accordance with Palestinian law, the employment of policemen who have
been convicted of serious crimes, or have been found to be actively involved
in terrorist activities subsequent to their recruitment, will be immediately
terminated, and their weapons and police identification documentation will
be confiscated.
5. Arms, Ammunition and Equipment
a. In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, uniformed policemen may carry arms,
and plainclothes policemen on duty who hold special accreditation may carry
personal light arms concealed in their clothing, in accordance with this
Agreement.
b. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Police will possess the following arms
and equipment:
(1) up to 4,000 rifles;
(2) up to 4,000 pistols;
(3) up to 120 machine guns of 0.3" or 0.5" caliber; and
(4) up to 15 light, unarmed riot vehicles of a type to be agreed on between
the two sides in the JSC.
c. In the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Police will possess the following arms
and equipment:
(1) 7,000 light personal weapons;
2) up to 120 machine guns of 0.3" or 0.5" caliber; and
(3) up to 45 wheeled armored vehicles of a type to be agreed on between the
two sides, and of which 22 will be deployed in protecting Council
installations. The use of wheeled armored vehicles in the Security
Perimeter, on the Lateral Roads and on their adjacent sides, or in the
vicinity of the Settlements shall be approved through the relevant DCO.
Movement of such vehicles along the central North-South road (Road No. 4) in
the Gaza Strip may take place only after providing notification to the
relevant DCO.
d. The number of arms or items of equipment specified in subparagraphs b.
and c. above may be increased subject to the agreement of both sides.
e. The Palestinian Police will maintain an updated register of all weapons
held by its personnel.
f. The Palestinian Police may possess communication systems, subject to
Article 36 of Annex III, and distinctive uniforms, identification badges and
vehicle markings.
g. In this Annex, the term "weapons" includes firearms, ammunition and
explosives of all kinds.
6. Introduction of Arms. Equipment and Foreign Assistance
a. All foreign contributions and other forms of assistance to the
Palestinian Police must comply with the provisions of this Agreement.
b. The introduction of arms, ammunition or equipment intended for the
Palestinian Police shall be coordinated through the JSC, in accordance with
its established practices.
...
ARTICLE V
Security Arrangements in the West Bank
..
2. Area A
...
b. Jewish Holy Sites
(1) The following provisions will apply with respect to the security
arrangements in Jewish holy sites in Area A which are listed in Appendix 4
to this Annex:
(a) While the protection of these sites, as well as of persons visiting
them, will be under the responsibility of the Palestinian Police, a JMU
shall function in the vicinity of, and on the access routes to, each such
site, as directed by the relevant DCO.
(b) The functions of each such JMU shall be as follows:
(i) to ensure free, unimpeded and secure access to the relevant Jewish holy
site; and
(ii) to ensure the peaceful use of such site, to prevent any potential
instances of disorder and to respond to any incident.
(c) Given the Jewish religious nature of such sites, Israeli plainclothes
guards may be present inside such sites.
(2) The present situation and the existing religious practices shall be
preserved.


APPENDIX 4
Jewish Holy Sites
Pursuant to Article V of this Annex the Jewish Holy Sites are as follows:
1. Joseph's Tomb (Nablus)
2. Shalom Al Israel synagogue (Jericho)

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN INTERIM AGREEMENT ON THE WEST BANK AND THE GAZA
STRIP
Annex III
Protocol Concerning Civil Affairs
ARTICLE 32
Religious Sites
1. Responsibility over sites of religious significance in the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip (hereinafter - "Holy Sites") will be transferred to the
Palestinian side. In Area C, this responsibility will be transferred
gradually to Palestinian jurisdiction that will cover West Bank and Gaza
Strip territory except for the issues that will be negotiated in the
permanent status negotiations, during the further redeployment phases, to be
completed within 18 months from the date of the inauguration of the Council.
2. Both sides shall respect and protect the listed below religious rights of
Jews, Christians, Moslems and Samaritans:
a. protection of the Holy Sites;
b. free access to the Holy Sites; and
c. freedom of worship and practice.
3. a. The Palestinian side shall ensure free access to, respect the ways of
worship in and not make any changes to, the Jewish Holy Sites listed in List
No. 1 of Schedule 4.
b. The Palestinian side shall ensure free access to, and respect the ways of
worship in, the Jewish Holy Sites listed in List No. 2 of Schedule 4 .
…

SCHEDULE 4
Pursuant to Article 32, paragraph 3 of this Appendix:
List No. 1
1. Elazar's Tomb, Ittamar's Tomb and the Tomb of the 70 Elders in Awarta
2. Joshua's Tomb in Kifel-Hares
3. The Cave of Othniel ben Knaz in Hebron
4. The Eshtamoa Synagogue in Samoa
5. The Yata Synagogue
6. Batir
7. Sebastia/Samaria
List No. 2
1. Nun's Tomb and Caleb's Tomb in Kifel-Hares
2. The Tombs of Natan the Prophet and Gad the Seer in Halhul
3. The Naran Synagogue - Ein Duk
4. The Jewish Cemetery in Sammerat
5. The Synagogue in Gaza City

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