(Washington Post) Shira Rubin - As IDF soldiers entered the Jenin refugee camp on July 3-4, Akram Rajoub, Jenin's governor, was on vacation. He rushed back, gathered his team of 60 Palestinian Authority security commanders, and told them: "Do not engage with the Israeli armed forces." The Jenin camp has descended into lawlessness over the past several years - ruled by drug dealers and gun runners, and, more recently, by Palestinian militias that have taken up arms against Israel, said Rajoub, who lives in Ramallah, 60 miles from the city he is in charge of running. The Israeli operation in Jenin exposed the weakness of the PA. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Jenin on July 12, arriving in a Jordanian helicopter. It was his first public appearance there since 2005. President Biden told CNN on July 9 that the Palestinian Authority has "lost its credibility," creating "a vacuum for extremism among Palestinians." With the PA unwilling to confront militants in its midst, Israeli military incursions have become more frequent.
2023-07-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive