JERUSALEM Ñ Palestinians are undergoing a wave of crime and gang activity following
the collapse of police services in the West Bank, according to Palestinian sources and local news reports.
Many of the members of the gangs are former Palestinian Authority police officers or Fatah
insurgents, the sources said. They said they turned to crime after the
the PA failed to pay their salaries.
The focus of the criminal activities is said to be in northern Jerusalem
neighborhoods that had been under the civilian rule of the Palestinian
Authority. PA police were deployed in the area until the escalation of the
Israeli-PA war in 2001, Middle East Newsline reported.
Palestinian sources said as a result the area between Jerusalem and
Ramallah have become lawless. The Anata refugee camp has been termed
"Chicago" in a reference to the 1920s gang wars in the U.S. city.
Many Palestinians have sought to protect themselves from the gangs. For
the first time in years, Palestinian newspapers contain advertisements for
the sale of guard dogs.
The Palestinian sources said a network of gangs have appeared that extort
from businessmen, steal property and other assets and work for those who
want to eliminate their rivals. The sources said the gangs operate in the
Jerusalem and Ramallah areas and face virtually no danger from being
captured by either Israeli or Palestinian authorities.
On Wednesday, Palestinian dailies published announcements warning the
public to beware of these gangs. The announcements disclosed the activities
of the criminal network and its record of extortion and deception.
An announcement in the Al Quds daily called on the public to resist the
gangs. The announcement said the criminal network sells illegal drugs,
forges documents and seizes cars and land.
Israeli
police, they said, have not responded to reports of criminal activity amid
reinforcement of Jerusalem from Palestinian insurgents.
