U.S.: PLO Failing to Comply With Agreements

The State Department, in its semiannual report on Palestinian compliance with peace commitments, concludes that members of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasir Arafat’s personal security forces and his Fatah faction have been “deeply involved” during the past year in violence against Israel.

“In particular, the Tanzim wing of Fatah and the Presidential Security force [Force 17] were responsible for a significant percentage of the violent attacks on Israelis,” says the report, which covers the period from mid-December 2000 to mid-June 2001.

While the report asserts that there is “no conclusive evidence” that senior Palestinian officials planned the attacks, it makes clear that Palestinian leaders failed to take steps to end the violence.

“The weight of evidence supports that they knew of Tanzim and Force 17 involvement in the violence and did little to rein them in,” the report says. “Nor have we seen reports that elements that committed acts of violence were ever disciplined.”

Palestinian leaders, according to the report, also “did little to prevent—and may even have encouraged—an atmosphere of incitement to violence.” The report highlights instances of “mid-level” PA and Fatah officials publicly advocating violence and notes a PA video clip reportedly calling on Palestinian children to become martyrs. “Some programs broadcast on the PA- and PLO- controlled or influenced mass media had the effect of inciting Palestinians to violence,” the report concludes.

Read text of the report by clicking here.