"Giving the Americans a chance to act before we react": The
Palestinian Authority is disturbed by the punitive measures announced by Israel against the Palestinian Authority, and warn that their implementation may lead to a conflict between the two sides.
Palestinian officials told "Israel Today" about the PA's anger over the series of measures approved by the cabinet, which will lead, among other things, to the deduction of the terrorists' salaries from the tax money that Israel collects for the PA, and to the transfer of NIS 130 million from the PA's funds to the families of terror victims killed in the attacks.
Will security coordination with Israel be suspended?
A Palestinian rioter in Ramallah (archive), photo: Reuters
On the Arab side, they say that the approved series of measures is a blow to the Palestinian economy and that the public cannot remain indifferent to it in view of the high cost of living.
Public officials in the Palestinian Authority and members of the security apparatus have received 80% of their salary in the past year.
The teachers and other sectors of the labor unions recently threatened to go out in protest for not updating their salaries, and it is likely that these threats will come to fruition as the economic distress in the PA's territories worsens.
"Israel is hardening its behavior and taking steps aimed at putting pressure on the PA. The leadership in Ramallah does not know what to do, and how to respond," a Palestinian source told Israel Hayom.
"Abu Mazen is determined to continue the political-diplomatic-legal struggle, and has no intention of retreating from this course. At the same time, he does not want to be portrayed as someone who is accused of creating a crisis - therefore, there is no eagerness at the moment to announce the end of security coordination."
"The PA is not in a hurry to make hasty decisions, and it seems they prefer to leave it to the street," explained a Palestinian source familiar with what is happening.
"This means that even if there is no announcement from the PA regarding the suspension of security coordination, Abu Mazen will have less motivation to order mechanisms to carry out activities and arrests, and he will let the street run itself.
Netanyahu held his first cabinet meeting (archive) // Photo: Roy Avraham /L.A.M
"Once there is a policy of sanctions, why would the Palestinian leadership want to do anything for the Ben Gvir-Smotrich government? There is no trust between the Palestinian side and the Israelis, and this atmosphere can turn into a crisis at all levels, including on the ground," said the source.
"There is no desire to cooperate with the Ben Gvir-Smotrich government", senior PA officials threaten after the cabinet's decision, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Continuing the legal channel
Ahmed Adich, the political advisor to the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Malaki, whose approval of the Palestinian Authority was denied as a means of punishment for the Palestinian leadership's appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, claimed that it is "the right of the Palestinian people to turn to the international community for protection, and what Israel is doing is not will make us stop the diplomatic struggle."
The PA is waiting for the reaction of the Americans before deciding on a response, Biden and Abu Mazen (archive), photo: no
Adich told "Israel Hayom" that the Palestinian Authority sent letters to many countries in the last day demanding to take a clear position against Israel.
"We want the world to act and be in the picture so that the Israeli government knows that it cannot do as it pleases, there needs to be someone to stop it."
In addition, he noted that the Palestinian leadership wants to give the American administration a chance to intervene in the issue before taking steps.
"We are still examining how it would be right to respond. We asked the administration to act quickly against Israel and put great pressure on Netanyahu to stop the sanctions program that harms the Palestinian leadership, the Palestinian issue and the daily reality of our people."
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