Military's operational recommendations ahead of nearing Palestinian bid in UN include series of 'confidence-building measures'

The IDF also recommended other good-will gestures ahead of September, such as returning the remains of 30 Palestinian prisoners and removing various roadblocks.


Published: 08.16.11

Will the Palestinian Authority's UN bid for statehood in September necessarily mean violent riots? The IDF is not so sure. Ynet learned Tuesday that the defense establishment has put together a series of operational recommendations, which aim to prevent the security situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from escalating.

The brief, which has already been submitted for government review, also states that should violence erupt, the military would still strive to keep outright conflicts with Palestinians to a minimum. The IDF's recommendations include allowing several mitigations vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority and its security forces, mainly allowing more weapons into the West Bank from Jordan. The plan's "target audience" is the Palestinian government in Ramallah and the heads of its security forces – who have a vested interest in keeping the order during and after the UN General Assembly; and the general Palestinian public.
The defense establishment also recommended increasing the water supply to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, granting permits for the construction of new desalination facilities, increasing the numbers of Palestinian merchants who are allowed to enter Israel– especially from Gaza, and allowing more Palestinians into the EU agricultural training program.

The IDF also recommended other good-will gestures ahead of September, such as returning the remains of 30 Palestinian prisoners and removing various roadblocks. The military defined its recommendations as "confidence-building measures," which should be applied while taking simultaneous action to neutralize the threat posed by radical groups on both sides.



http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4109763,00.html