Defense establishment reaches out to PA
Defense officials devise document listing various measures, such as release of elderly security prisoners, development of PA infrastructure, to increase morale among Palestinians ahead of Nakba Day, hoping to prevent riots
The Israeli defense establishment has recently formulated a list of measures that the Israeli government can take in order to better ties with the Palestinian Authority and hopefully prevent riots ahead of the Nakba and Naksa Days.
The list, consisting of measures that are intended to appease Palestinians but will not compromise Israel's security, was submitted to ministerial officials, but whether it will be implemented has yet to be determined.
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The document offers that ammunition will be handed to the PA, including crowd dispersal measures, and that permits to open new Palestinian police stations be granted.
The document also included a list of 30-40 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom ill or elderly, who can be released without posing a risk to the State's security, in the eyes of defense officials.
The proposal further suggests that Israel support the development of Palestinian villages, industry and roads, including the construction of a road around Ramallah and the improvement of the authority's infrastructure.
According to sources with the defense establishment, the measures will achieve Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas an advantage with his people.
Though implementation of the various counts may be completed gradually, the sources stressed that releasing the prisoners was a move better carried out before the Nakba Day, marked on May 15.
Last week, senior officials have insisted that Israel had no intention of granting any appeasement measures until peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were resumed.
Also last week, a governmental source with the Palestinian Authority told Ynet that measures that will increase the Palestinians' trust in the Israeli government, such as the release of prisoners, can catalyze a return to the negotiation table.
You can contact Elior Levy, Ynet's Palestinian Affairs Correspondent, at: paldesk @gmail.com.
Yoav Zitun contributed to this report
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