(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai - The security issue is the matter which has sent the current Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations into a deadlock. At the heart of the issue is Israel's demand that after the establishment of a Palestinian state, Israel's citizens will have the same level of national security as they enjoy today. The Americans, Europeans, and in fact the entire international community acknowledge the legitimacy and validity of Israel's demand. Israel, and rightfully so, is unprepared to discuss the borders of the Palestinian state and all the other subjects which have to do with territory before an agreement is reached on the security issue. Only thanks to Israeli control over the border crossings between the West Bank and Jordan has it been possible to prevent a massive spillover of al-Qaeda activists and explosive devices into the West Bank and Israel. Israel also notes that the attempt to place European inspectors at the border crossings between Gaza and Egypt failed miserably, and that following the Hamas coup in 2007 the supervisors ran for their lives. Even more important is thwarting terror in the West Bank by collecting intelligence and conducting arrests. Israel says that it is only thanks to the operational and intelligence freedom of action that the IDF and Israel Security Agency have throughout the territories, including those under Palestinian control, has it been possible to foil more than 80% of the acts of terror which threaten not only Jews but also the survival of the Palestinian Authority. Moreover, what will happen in case of a coup in the Palestinian country or in Jordan, or in both at the same time, and radical Islamist groups rise to power there? Until an answer to these issues is found, the security issue will not be solved.
2013-12-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive