(Ma'ariv-Hebrew, 31 Dec 2013) Amir Rappaport, Eli Bardenstein and Yair Krouse - Israel's security services totally reject the American proposal for security arrangements in the Jordan Valley, officials in Jerusalem told the U.S. prior to Secretary of State John Kerry's visit this week. The American proposal presented to Israel was based on a limited Israeli presence at the border crossings along the Jordan River for a limited number of years, together with the massive use of technological means such as satellites and drones that would replace the army's presence on the ground. The position of the security services, as agreed upon recently by the Defense Minister, is that no replacement for the IDF will protect Israel's security interests, and that even the most advanced technological means do not offer a serious alternative. In any case, the Palestinians also strongly oppose the American proposal because they do not accept any Israeli presence at the border crossings, even for a limited time. The Jordanians also refuse to support the proposal, out of concerns that it would harm the security of the kingdom.
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