GAZA CITY — Western governments, including the European Union and the United States,
have expressed increasing frustration over the Palestinian Authority's failure to protect their
nationals. Many of these nationals were entrusted with improving Palestinian
services.
"There is a problem of trust with the PA," a Western diplomat said.
"We've received so many assurances from them and then — nothing."
[On Thursday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat daily reported that
dozens of prominent Fatah operatives have urged PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to
dissolve the PA. The Fatah members called on Abbas to relay responsibility
for the Palestinian territories to the international community, Middle East Newsline reported.]
Over the last two days, gunmen from the Fatah movement led by PA
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas have been on a rampage. Fatah abducted at least 11
foreigners, mostly in the Gaza Strip, in protest of the Israeli capture of
six Palestinian insurgents in Jericho.
Already, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red
Cross have ordered the withdrawal of their foreign employees. For a day, the
European Union pulled its 70-member observer contingent from the Gaza-Egypt
border at Rafah.
Diplomats said 100 Westerners have left the Gaza Strip since late March
14. Later, the PA announced the cancellation of its first major economic
conference, scheduled for April, because foreigners feared to visit the West
Bank.
Westerners have appealed to the PA for protection. But the diplomats
said that in most cases, the PA police failed to respond. In several
exceptions, they said, PA forces and facilities were overrun by mobs.
On March 14, PA officers tried to stop a raid by 30 Fatah and Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine on a Gaza City hotel used by
journalists. In the ensuing shootout, an attacker was killed
and eight other were injured.
But during the shootout, the gunmen managed to abduct four South Korean
and French journalists. The journalists were later released.
"There's no justification for attacking civilians, including journalists
who were doing their jobs," Ann Cooper, executive director of the Committee
to Protect Journalists, said.
Since 2004, both Britain and the United States have sought protection
for their monitors deployed at the PA prison in Jericho. Over the last four
years, the two Western countries maintained a staff of 20 to ensure the PA
detention of Palestinian insurgents sought by Israel for the assassination
of an Israeli minister and ordering a shipment of rockets and explosives
from Iran.
On March 14, the Western monitors left the PA prison. Minutes later, an
Israeli military force entered the town and after a nine-hour standoff
captured the six insurgents.
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said Washington had
repeatedly warned the PA, including Abbas, that the monitors would be
withdrawn unless security was bolstered. The State Department relayed a
series of security demands required in wake of the Hamas victory in
Palestinian legislative elections on Jan. 25. Hamas had pledged to free the
six detainees.
"Our first concern is the safety of our people," Ereli said. "The
Palestinians have proved incapable of providing for their safety, so we
needed to take the steps we thought sufficient to do that."
Ereli said the PA failed to secure the Jericho prison from insurgency
infiltration. He said the PA was also meant to protect the monitors outside
the facility.
"So if you've got unarmed personnel tasked with monitoring an agreement
and under that agreement the Palestinian Authority has the obligation to
protect these guys and that they're getting threats and that they're
vulnerable and that those tasked with protecting them aren't protecting
them, then you've got to do what's necessary," Ereli said.
Diplomats said the EU and United States would be unable to maintain
personnel in the PA. They said this could result in a suspension in aid to
the Palestinians.
"We appeal in the strongest terms that no form of violence be used
against EU offices, member state offices or our citizens," European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told the European Parliament on
Wednesday. "Nobody has helped the Palestinian people more than the EU. The
EU has been, and wishes to continue to be, a donor to the Palestinian
people."
