Israeli arrests of Palestinian security forces a “cold war”

Palestinian and Israeli media sources said that the Israeli arrests of PA and Fatah movement cadres represented a “cold war” between the Israeli and Palestinian security and intelligence services, especially in the context of Israeli accusations through the media, which circulate PA neglect in combating smuggling of Palestinian property and estate to Israelis.

For its part, Ynet Hebrew newspaper said that Israel is exerting great pressure on the Palestinian Authority to release detainees on charges of involvement in the sale of Palestinian property to Israelis.

Fatah official statements in reponse said that “The Israeli measures will not allow the movement, or the security services, to change their attitude towards the protection of holy sites and the protection of Palestinian property, which the Israeli occupation authorities are trying to control by all means and seek to legitimize this control,” said the statement.

This comes after the Maariv Israeli daily reported on Monday that the Israeli security forces arrested a number of Fatah cadres, many of whom are members of the Palestinian security services. It also reported the arrest of 32 Jerusalemites who have the Jerusalem ID (blue ID) on suspicion of working for Palestinian security services of the Palestinian Authority and the activities of these devices in Jerusalem.

Israeli media said the arrest was an Israeli political security decision because the detainees were “recruited into the security services of the Palestinian Authority” and pose a threat to the security of a number of Jerusalemites and Israelis living in Jerusalem, adding that this violates Article 7 of the Israeli law, which prohibits the participation or work of these Palestinian bodies on the citizens of Jerusalem.

Israeli media on Friday published photos of equipment, clothes, money, cards and certificates which prove activity of Palestinian security services in Jerusalem.

Israeli security sources said there was a decision by the Israeli security forces to strike with an iron fist and wage an uncompromising war against Jerusalemites or Arabs who hold Israeli identity cards and work in the Palestinian security services or the Fatah movement, who are now threatening the security and lives of Israeli Jerusalemites.