rabin and his palestinians kapos from center for policy research cpr subject rabin and his palestinians kapos rabin s plans for a palestinian police from the other front alternative information center jerusalem may the decision to view the setting up of a local police force for sic the palestinians as the central issue for deliberation at the peace talks to be resumed next week even before subjects like elections in the territories and areas of juridiction in the framework of autonomy is a sign of the israeli government s serious attitude towards the peace process the setting up of a police force is not part of the gesture package but deals with the very heart and substance of the palestinian struggle for national identity as it turns out the main objective guiding the prime minister in the setting up of a palestinian police force and apparently also supported by foreign minister shimon peres is to ensure the holding of democratic elections in the territories thus writes amnon barzilai in his editorial israeli daily hadashot april and his position articulates the thinking of most of the commentators who dealt with this issue in the past two weeks over against them stand the settlers and rightwing parties who also interpret the decision to encourage the establishment of a palestinian police force as a significant step towards the instituting of real autonomy something which will restrict what can be done by the jewish settlers in the west bank and gaza strip with a variety of demonstrations including street theater on what will happen when there is a palestinian police force rightwing elements are attempting to frighten the israeli public and to pressure rabin to go back on his decision members of the kach movement have even begun to organize a settler police force in the occupied territories as counter balance to the future palestinian police force however as barzilai points out the main function of the new police force as far as the israeli government is concerned has nothing to do with the settlers over whom they will apparently have no authority but will control political groups within the palestinian population whom the government is interested in neutralizing writes barzilai according to ideas currently taking shape the setting up of a local police force in the territories will precede not only the stage of electsion but also the final stages of the preparing of the interim autonomy agreement the willingness of the israeli government to set up a local palestinian police force is evidence that the government is serious about arriving at a settlement with the palestinians it s no wonder that the palestinian public is also greatly worried about this new israeli initiative and it is inevitable that pressure will be brought to bear on faisal husseini and the rest of the delegation members from a variety of directions to refuse the gift which rabin would like to give them but at this stage it looks like the palestinians are cooperating in the fulfillment of his plans add l comment by e d numerous palestinians fear that israel might succeed in co opting some palestinian circles by this idea they fear that a palestinian police force controlled in fact by israel might act even more brutally than the idf the idea of using a surrogate police force is not new it is used by israel in lebanon and was used by the nazis to control jewish ghetto dwellers
