THE PALESTINIAN GSS ALSO OPERATES IN THE HEART OF WESTERN JERUSALEM
(Analysis by Roni Shaked, "Yediot Ahronot", Friday Supplement, June 26,
1998, pp. 10-11)
Every Palestinian Authority ministry has a branch in the city. The
Palestinian Authority security apparatus does not recognize the separation
between the city's eastern and western sections. The Rais has appointed a
district governor and police commissioner and every school-child in Rafiah
and Jenin knows how to recite "A Palestinian State with Jerusalem its
Capital".
Gandi Ta'ah, a collaborator who was relocated in Jerusalem, left a Talpiot
discotheque late Friday night in the heart of western Jerusalem. Suddenly,
a white Mitsubishi car stopped beside him. Four men leapt out of the car,
jumped him and pushed him inside. The Mitsubishi sped towards the Old
City, then to Abu Dis, and by side roads to the Palestinian General
Intelligence Staff building in Bethlehem.
For long hours the prisoner was interrogated by Palestinian GSS agents.
But Saturday afternoon, when Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
arrived in Bethlehem, everyone rushed to protect the Rais. Gandi Ta'ah
seized the opportunity offered by the loosened guard, removed one of the
window bars and escaped.
The Israeli police listed the kidnapping as another act by the Palestinian
security apparatus in Jerusalem. But this time the act occurred in a place
were the relocated collaborators should have felt safe -- in the heart of
western Jerusalem, apparently far from the reach of the commander of the
preventative security apparatus in the West Bank, Jibril Rajoub, and
Tewfik Tirani, the General Intelligence commander in the West Bank. "They
can go anywhere," Gandi Ta'ah muttered.
However, the activities of the Palestinian Authority in the capital are
not limited to security. The Oslo Agreement determined that Jerusalem's
status would be decided in the negotiations on the permanent settlement.
In its wake, the dreams to make it the capital of a future Palestinian
state became realizable expectations.
Since then, Arafat has tried to realize these expectations. As is his
wont, he opened the journey to Jerusalem by absorbing the concept of
Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Today, every school-child in Rafiah
and Jenin knows how to recite "al-daoula al-Falistiniya wa- asimatiya
al-Quds al-Sharif" -- "The State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its
capital". This saying is repeated dozens of times a day on the Palestinian
radio and television, and in every one of Arafat's and other Palestinian
leaders' speeches.
At the same time, Arafat does everything possible to undermine Israeli
control in Jerusalem, to control the power centers and public institutions
and to create an alternative Palestinian regime. The scope of the steps,
derived from this salami tactic are extensive.
The political symbol of the Palestinian stronghold in Jerusalem is Orient
House. Before the last elections, Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud spokesmen
promised to close it. But today, Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Faisal
Husseini has an office in the building. And the Palestinian flag flies
above Orient House.
The Palestinian Authority is not satisfied with symbols. In violation of
the Oslo Accords, it maintains sovereign activities in Jerusalem and
establishes institutions there. Jerusalem has thus been declared as one of
Palestine's 16 districts. It is the largest of the future state's
districts, both in area and population. It includes the Old City,
neighborhoods inside the Jerusalem Municipality's boundaries -- such as
Beit Hanina, Shuafat and Wadi Joz -- and the villages Eizariya and Abu Dis
and others south-west of Ramallah. The population numbers 325,000
Palestinians, 200,000 of whom carry Israeli identity cards.
Two years ago, a governor was appointed for the Jerusalem District, Jamil
Ottman Nasser, aka Abu Nasser. Arafat ordered Nasser to strengthen
Palestinian control in the city and to manage the affairs of the
population as in every other Palestinian district.
Two committees on Jerusalem affairs have been established by the
Palestinian Authority. One is a ministerial committee headed by Arafat
himself. Its members include Faisal Husseini, Minister for Municipal
Affairs Dr. Saeb Erekat,, Finance Minister Mohammed Zohadi Nashashibi and
Information Minister Yasser Abd Rabo. The parliamentary committee oversees
the ministerial committee.
In addition, nearly every Palestinian ministry today has a branch in
Jerusalem.
Security
The Palestinian security apparatus -- preventative security, General
Intelligence, Force 17 and military intelligence -- has maintained
branches in the city in recent months. Following criticism in Israel,
their presence has been less demonstrative. Agents on their behalf mainly
collect information on collaborators and land dealers. Surveillance and
supervision activities are also carried out, on the Jerusalem Municipality
among other places. The arrest ten days ago of Zohair Abu Omar, an
employee of the Municipality's surveyors office, who collected information
on land sales on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, is evidence of this.
Police
In the city, especially in its peripheral areas, the Palestinian civilian
police operate against prostitution and drug dealing and handle conflicts
and debt collection. The police commander of the Jerusalem district is
Akid (colonel) Khaled Tantash, appointed about six months ago by
Palestinian Police Commissioner Ghazzi Jebali. Tantash is proud that crime
in the area has decreased in recent months. "If the Israeli police would
not bother us", he claims, "crime would disappear."
Religion
The Palestinian Ministry for Religious Affairs operates out of an office
in the Shalshelet neighborhood in the Old City. Minister for Religious
Affairs Hassan Tahboub who died one month ago, claimed that his position
derived its validity from the fact that he was Chairman of the Supreme
Muslim Council. The Palestinians are now searching for a new candidate for
the post among members of the Supreme Muslim Council so as not to lose
this stronghold.
Sheikh Akarama Sabri, the Mufti of Palestine, was appointed by Arafat and
receives his salary from the Palestinian Authority, and continues to
operate his office on the Temple Mount, despite protests from Israel. In
order to strengthen the linkage of the Christian community to the
Palestinian Authority Arafat appointed Attorney Ibrahim Kandaleft as the
Ministry of Religious Affairs's Director for "Christian Religious Affairs
in East Jerusalem."
Education
The education system in the eastern part of the city is controlled by the
Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian educational curriculum is being
studied in Jerusalem Municipality schools. In the recent high school
graduation exams, the Palestinian Authority took on responsibility for the
question papers, supervisors, examiners and publication of results. The
Mayor of Jerusalem sufficed with a card of congratulation, copies of which
were placed on the desks of the examinees.
The Palestinian Authority has also partially succeeded in taking control
of the private schools in the eastern part of the city. In the last year
it has taken control of the "Orphan's School", one of the oldest and
largest educational institutions in the Old City, formerly controlled by
the Waqf.
The Palestinian Authority also controls a university in Jerusalem. The
"Al-Quds" University, the central campus of which is in Abu Dis, maintains
a college in the eastern part of Jerusalem, and its administration is
situated not far from the Rockefeller Museum. Dr. Hanan Ashrawi,
Palestinian Authority Education Minister, is responsible for the
university.
Health
The "Makassed el-Khiriyeh" hospital is one of the most important
Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority sends
patients there for treatment. The maternity hospital "al-Hilal", situated
in the Sawana neighborhood in A-Tur is controlled by the Palestinian Red
Crescent, headed by Dr. Fathi Arafat, the brother of the PA Chairman.
The Legal System
In an attempt to detach the residents of eastern Jerusalem from the
Israeli legal system, "Reconciliation and Arbitration Councils" have been
set up, with the support and assistance of the Palestinian Authority.
Heading them is Haj Daoud Wazvaz, whose decisions are carried out to the
last detail. The councils, in coordination with the District Governor,
settle disputes, quarrels and business and financial matters.
Housing
The Palestinian Authority has created the "Council for the Development and
Reconstruction of the Old City", which exists to renovate buildings. To
date, $2,000 has been given to 17 families to renovate their homes. The
Council has $15 million in its coffers, which was collected in telethons
held by television stations in the Persian Gulf emirates and MBC. The
money -- the emirs' representatives decided -- will be distributed only
after a supervisory body is set up. Even before the Oslo Accords, the
"Supreme Council for Housing" was set up in Jerusalem. After Israeli
pressure, its offices were moved to A-Ram, in the north of the city. The
Council, subordinate to the Palestinian Housing Ministry, provides loans
and aid to those who possess municipality building permits.
Welfare and support
The "Palestinian Prisoners' Club", closed by order of OC Central Command,
is continuing its activities, without leaflets and posters. The club,
which falls under the authority of the Palestinian Welfare Ministry
provides former security prisoners with loans, aid and professional
training.
Trade and Industry
The "Office for Small Businesses", which supports the development of
enterprise in Jerusalem, is directly connected to the Palestinian Ministry
of Trade and Industry. It is headed by Butina Shahana.
Tourism
Before the Oslo Accords, the "High Council for Tourism" was created, which
deals with the development of tourism in eastern Jerusalem. The council,
headed by Hani Abu Dayah, is connected to the PA Tourism Ministry.
Culture
On July 1, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture is planning to hold the
annual Palestinian folklore festival at the Hakawati Theatre. Taking part
in the festival will be musicians, singers, folk-dancers and poets.
Sport
The football teams of Silwan, Sur Baher, Jebel Mukaber and the "Al-Hilal"
team play in the Palestinian football league, administered by the
Palestinian Ministry for Youth and Sport. In Jebel Mukaber, they say that
Arafat ruled that the team not be relegated to a lower league. Those who
collaborated with the terrorist cell that blew up the #18 buses in
Jerusalem were football players, whose connection with Hamas showed itself
on the pitch.
.
=====================================================================
Information Division, Israel Foreign Ministry - Jerusalem
Mail all Queries to ask@israel-info.gov.il
URL: http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il
gopher://israel-info.gov.il
=====================================================================
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
