Peres: Israel should give PA weapons to restore order

[Colorado Blue]

Israel should transfer to the Palestinian Authority lights arms as part of a series of goodwill gestures Prime Minster Ariel Sharon intends to present PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in their meeting next week, Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel Radio on Friday.
The Palestinians "are apparently facing many problems," Peres said. "The light arms are really needed in order to place law and order and to fight Hamas."

The Vice Premier did not agree that the PA's weapons, which in the past were used against Israeli targets, threat Israel in a substantial way.

"Light arms do not pose a threat to Israel. The threat on Israel comes on the one hand from a war with tanks and airplanes and on the other hand from terrorists," Peres went on saying.

"It is not the guns that threaten us, but the suicide bombers," he said.

On Thursday evening the coordinator of government activities in the territories, General Yosef Mishlav, and PA Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan met in Tel Aviv to discuss further measures aimed at alleviating the everyday lives of Palestinians. The measures include the easing of Palestinians' entry into Israel through the separation fence and from the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel will increase the operational hours of the Karni crossing into the Gaza Strip.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/589235.html

[drdon326]

1. Lets see if I got this straight......

Israel wants to help the palestinians against the palestinians terrorists that have for all these years have been supported by the palestinians to kill as many jews as possible.

Do I have that about right ?

Now , who cares about more about the palestinians?

You cant make this stuff up.

The palestinians have no one to blame but themselves for this pre civil war.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[newyorican]

8. self-delete

self-delete...no need.

[DixieDem]

6. From what I've read...

I agree with you Dr. Don. Except for your last statemnt.

I'm currently a little bit more sympathetic to the cause of Israel.

However, I get very irrated when the palestinians are all grouped into one catagory ... terrorists? etc.? How would you feel if all jews/israelis were grouped into one catagory?

I'm an outsider just tyring to understand both sides of this issue. I hope we can have an honest discussion without labeling people here.

[Igel]

2. Didn't they do this once before?

Didn't they arm and train Palestinian police? Didn't many of the police wind up in Al-Fatah or the Tanzim?

Didn't bullets fired from small arms wind up killing a fair number of people, both Israeli and Palestinian?

Isn't one of the definitions of insanity doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcomes?

I chatted with Peres once at some silly university function. He tried speaking Polish to me, but my language set didn't include Polish. However, today I'd be able to respond in Polish, and he certainly wouldn't like what I'd have to say.

[Colorado Blue]

3. Igil, when did this happen? With the police I mean, being

armed?

Thanks.

[Igel]

4. It was part of the Oslo agreement.

They helped to train and equip the PA police force when it was being set up. How much help, I don't know; it was early/mid '90s, and my nose was mostly buried in books on comparative Slavic grammar at the time.

It was good for a few scathing references during the intifada, the police that teamed up with the Tanzim using the light arms and Israeli-provided training.