Against Israel's intention to apply for sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, Abu Mazen's associate Hussein al-Sheikh was interviewed for The New York Times The law

• The Palestinian Authority will cut workers' salaries. From left to right: Mahmoud al-'Alul, Abu Mazen, Rami Hamdallah, Hussein a-Sheikh and below Majid Faraj and Azam al-Ahmad

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  Reuters / Archive

A Palestinian official has confirmed that she is expected to cut the salaries of tens of thousands of police and security forces, and the salaries of her employees in the Gaza Strip. It was also said that Israeli citizens or residents of East Jerusalem will not be extradited to Israel and judged within the authority's jurisdiction if they are caught breaking the law. This is the case in an interview published Monday night in The New York Times. 

According to the interview, in order to deter Israel from applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, the Palestinians are taking steps to disengage from Israel and force it to "take full responsibility as an occupying army for the lives of more than two million Palestinians in the West Bank." Palestinian officials see these steps as powerful but reversible actions, which will cause Israel and the international community to take them seriously and withdraw the annexation intention - "before it is too late." 

"We are not nihilists or fools, and we do not want chaos," Hussein a-Sheikh, a Palestinian senior official responsible for relations with Israel and one of Abu Mazen's closest advisers, told the New York Times. He emphasized: "We are pragmatic, we do not want things to reach the point of no return. Annexation means that there is no turning back in relations with Israel." Recall, recently, the head of the authority announced that they are withdrawing from all agreements with Israel and the United States, including security coordination.

"I'm not a municipal authority or a charity"

According to a-Sheikh, the strategy is intended to remind Israel of the burden of the absence of the Palestinian Authority and to demonstrate that they are willing to let it collapse if sovereignty is applied. "Either they will come back from the annexation and things will go back to normal, or they will continue with the annexation and become an occupying force in the West Bank," said the Palestinian official.

According to him, if the possibility of a state goes away, the Palestinian Authority will reduce civilian functions such as school management, hospitals and police stations, making them an agent against Israel. "I will not accept that my job is to be a service provider," he said in an interview, "I am not a municipal authority or a charity."

Last week, the senior official announced that the Palestinian Authority will not receive the tax money that Israel collects from Palestinian workers in its territory. "Obviously it's our money," he explained in an interview, "but I would get it based on our agreements." A-Sheikh argued that this rejection sends the PA into an economic crisis, forcing it to cut salaries, lay off workers and merge departments or even disable government.

The authority will cut $ 105 million

Subsequently, the Palestinian official told The New York Times that the authority will cut $ 105 million in funds it sends to the Gaza Strip each month for salaries of officials, commissions and medical services. These cuts could undermine the security situation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 

"Every day, I withdraw from my responsibilities," said a-Sheikh. 

However, the Palestinian official insisted that the security forces continue to maintain law and order and fight terror, but will act alone. "We will avoid violence and chaos," a-Sheikh noted, not allowing bloodshed. This is a strategic decision, "adding:" I want peace and two states, but I do not cooperate with Israel. " 

Asked how the security forces would work if they found that Palestinians intended to carry out attacks against Israelis, a-Sheikh said they would arrest them if they were still in the West Bank. But if the attackers were already inside Israel, he hinted that the Palestinians might warn Israel through a mediator. "I'll find a way to stop him," he said. 

In addition, the Palestinian official said that any Israeli arrested in the Palestinian Territory's territory will not be handed over to Israeli authorities. Palestinian security officials and two senior IDF officers told the American newspaper that some Arab residents in Jerusalem and Arab citizens in Israel have already been arrested by the PA on charges of arms trafficking. "I will not transfer them to Israel. Whoever is here with Israeli citizenship and wants to sell drugs - I can't stop him? We will not transfer anyone to Israel. "