Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The Palestinian Authority intends to organize violent
demonstrations against Israel ahead of the visit by U.S. President Barack
Obama, a report said.

“The Palestinian Authority leadership is hoping that the anti-U.S.
protests will scare Obama and force him to exert even more pressure on
Israel,” the report said. “The Palestinian Authority’s message to Obama: You
must act quickly against Israel before things get out of hand.”

The Gatestone Institute said the PA has been organizing daily violence
against Israeli soldiers and civilians in the West Bank and Jerusalem as
Obama prepares his visit to Israel on March 20. The institute, in a report by Khaled Abu Toameh, said the PA has assessed that a so-called mini-intifada, or uprising, would serve the interests of the West Bank regime.

“This is why the Palestinian Authority leadership has been encouraging
its constituents lately to wage a ‘popular intifada’ against Israel, each
time finding another excuse to initiate confrontations between Palestinians and Israel,” the report, titled “Palestinians Plan Violence to Force the U.S. to Extract Concessions From Israel,” said.

[In an unrelated development, Israel and the United States conducted
their first test of the Arrow-3 ballistic missile defense system. In a
statement, the two countries said the Feb. 25 test, conducted over the
Mediterranean Sea, was successful, but did not report an interception
attempt.]

Dated Feb. 22, the report said the PA was exploiting the issue of
Palestinian prisoners in Israel to fuel violence agaist Israel. In February,
scores of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers,
particularly around Ramallah.

Abu Toameh, a leading Israeli journalist on Palestinian affairs, said
the PA would seek to extract “far-reaching concessions” from Israel during
Obama’s visit. He said the PA sought to restore its demand for an
independent state in the West Bank to the top of the international agenda.

“Although the violence has thus far remained on a low flame, it is
expected to intensify as the date of Obama’s visit approaches,” the report
said.

The report said the PA was hoping Obama would support its demands for a
full suspension of Jewish construction in the West Bank and Jerusalem as
well as the release of Palestinian prisoners. One option being examined was
for PA-sponsored protests against Washington during Obama’s three-day visit,
which would include Ramallah.

  Gatestone Institute, Jerusalem, Palestinians said planning violence to reinforce Obama pressure on Israel, Ramallah, West Bank