The amnesty plan was launched in July 2007 and limited to Fatah
members in the West Bank declared fugitives by Israel. At the end of the
second stage of the plan, scores of fugitives were allowed to leave their
hiding places and return to society.
But the report said the Palestinian Authority played a marginal role in
the success of the amnesty. PA security services were said to have failed to
enforce the terms of the amnesty, in which the fugitives renounced violence.
"However, the contribution of the Palestinian security services to the
enforcement and success of the plan was limited and recently even showed
more signs of weakening," the report, released on Feb. 12, said. "The minor
contribution of the Palestinian security services reflects their dysfunction
and many other problems they face."
The report said PA security agencies also failed to implement reform
mandated in an international plan. Instead, the fugitives were motivated by
a desire to return to normal life.
PA security services relayed additional applicants to the Israeli
amnesty program in late 2007. In all, more than 200 insurgents agreed to the
terms, and the
report said most of them honored the agreement.
"The majority of wanted terrorists who participated in the second stage
of the plan showed restraint and kept to its terms," the report said. "The
irregularities were marginal both quantitatively and qualitatively."
"There was a dramatic drop in the number and severity of terrorist
attacks carried out by wanted Fatah-Tanzim operatives, including those who
were not part of the plan," the report said. "In our
assessment that was the result of the general atmosphere in Judea and
Samaria , however the decrease in activity among participants influenced
non-participants."
