Israel proposed that PLO form community police in east Jerusalem
Israel suggested to the PLO in east Jerusalem that they establish a special community police unit in order to preserve law and order in the refugee camps in Arab neighborhoods, including preventing attacks against Israelis, according to a report in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida on Wednesday.The paper quotes Israeli sources as saying that, in return for the establishment of the local police force, Israel would cease to send its security forces into Old City neighborhoods, the Shuafat refugee camp and Anata, without prior coordination with the active PLO forces in the area.The sources said that Israel intends to grant Palestinians in Jerusalem and the surrounding neighborhoods “autonomy,” in security and organizational arrangements in cooperation with Israel. Sources in east Jerusalem say that they are currently reviewing the Israeli proposal, and they plan to pass it on to the Palestinian leadership and PA president Mahmoud Abbas.The newspaper claims that the Israeli initiative came as part of the Netanyahu governments efforts to minimize Palestinian attacks in the Jerusalem area and to decrease tensions in the holy city.