http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=57001

[Dr. Aaron Lerner – IMRA:

A quick review:

#1. Our “peace partners” have made it very clear that if they fail to get what they want via negotiations that they believe they have the right to turn their guns against us.

#2. They also make it clear that the decision to opt to start killing Israelis is the efficacy of the move. In simple English: the day they conclude that killing Israelis will help them reach their goal they will pull the trigger. Again.

#3. They have illustrated their attitude towards the murder of Israelis by their demand that every single Palestinian now being held by Israel be freed – not extradited for incarceration by the PA – regardless of what they did – and regardless of what press release the PA issued at the time that
they carried out their crime.

#4. Our “peace partners” refuse to acknowledge for the record any details of the inventories of weapons held either in the West Bank or Gaza Strip by a multitude of official, semi-official and other armed groups.

#5. Our “peace partners” also refuse to address the issue of achieving compliance with the weapons restrictions that were set in in the various agreements. Again in simple English: there are literally hundreds of thousands of illegal weapons out there – including rockets, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles – whose existence is a gross violation of the agreements, and our “peace partners” refuse to make any commitment to remove
them or to recognize that they are obligated to do so in areas under their control today or that they hope to have under their control in the future
(e.g. if Fatah-Hamas unity is achieved).

#6. Equally disturbing: none of the above, at least judging by official statements of the the US or the Quartet, seems to be of any concern to the world at large.

The opportunity for the Netanyahu administration: Abbas wants Israel to free murderers and give him more guns. Israel can respond with some very plain talk to bring some reality to the fore.

“Want to talk about guns? – Let’s talk about guns. All the guns. We are eager to sit with the PA about the weapons now in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” ]

Official: PA security forces need arms to keep peace
Published yesterday (updated) 09/06/2012 17:08
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=493570

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security forces require regular armaments and supplies in order to keep peace and order in the West Bank, a Fatah official said Friday.

Jamal Muheisin told Ma’an that weapons used by security forces naturally wear out after a period of time and, like police forces in other countries, need to be replaced.

A large portion of arms used by Palestinian security forces were destroyed in the second Intifada during Israeli incursions into the West Bank, Muheisin said.

President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday said he would open dialogue with Israel if it re-armed Palestinian security forces.

“We recently told them that if Israel accepted to free prisoners and allow us to re-arm the police then we would again sit at the same table as Netanyahu,” Abbas said during a visit to Paris.

Israel regularly coordinates with PA security forces and has a say on the degree to which they are armed and deployed.

The Palestinian Authority is prevented from developing conventional military forces by Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in the past that any future Palestinian state must be demilitarized.

Israel’s 2011 defense expenditure was about 6 percent of its GDP. The United States contributes $3 billion every year to Israel’s security budget.

Reuters contributed to this report

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