Originally published in
Israel Today Staff
May 5, 2020
The Israel Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of seven Palestinian Authority (PA) agents operating illegally on the eastern side of Jerusalem.
Activists, agents and officials associated with PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party have been taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to assert control over parts of eastern Jerusalem.
Israel Today previously reported that Fatah had set up its own roadblocks in some Jerusalem neighborhoods, preventing both the movement of locals and access for Israeli health care services.
The exact activities of the seven men arrested this week remain unclear, but early reports indicated that they were being funding directly by the Palestinian Authority, and were in possession of PA uniforms.
The various signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority prohibit the latter from operating in Jerusalem in any official capacity. The Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital, but have ostensibly agreed that the matter must be settled via negotiations. Their actions on the ground again demonstrate that the Palestinian leadership does not honor its agreements.
