July 8, 1998
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging the
Clinton administration to take action in response to the latest reports
that Yasir Arafat and Palestinian Authority are stockpiling weapons.
The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported on July 7, 1998 that an
intelligence report submitted recently to the government warned that
there is “a concentrated, continuous and deliberate effort by officials in
the Palestinian Authority to smuggle arms into PA territories so as to
increase and vary the quantity and quality of weapons in their possession,
including an attempt to put their hands on anti-tank missiles.”
According to Ha’aretz, “The report claims that despite the PA’s
promise to collect all illegal weapons in its territories and work together
with Israel on granting gun licenses to civilians, nothing has been done on
the matter, ‘and there have even been cases in which the PA unilaterally
issued weapons permits.'”
Ha’aretz further revealed that “the Palestinian security bodies
hold several hundred weapons of different kinds that were not approved by
Israel according to the procedures outlined in the agreement. There are
some 400 such weapons, smuggled in to the territories from overseas,
purchased from criminal elements in Israel or confiscated from opposition
groups.”
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: “If Arafat has
sincerely forsaken violence and wants to live in peace with Israel, why is
he smuggling weapons into PA territory and making other military
preparations? As a sponsor of the Oslo accords, and as the donor of
$100-million annually to the Palestinian Arabs, the Clinton
administration should do everything in its power to halt Arafat’s military
buildup.”
The Ha’aretz report is the latest in a series of indications that
Yasir Arafat and the PA are building up an army and stockpiling weapons
prohibited by the Oslo accords:
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PA Training for War
A report in Ha’aretz on June 1, 1998 on the PA’s military buildup revealed:
… “Palestinian security forces have recently accelerated and
intensified their training…the security bodies are training in the use of
formations (such as teams or squads) for defined missions, while civilian
bodies are increasing the pace of civil defense training.”
…” We know that the Palestinians are training for combat and
aspiring to being able to use anti-tank missiles,” one high-ranking officer
told Ha’aretz. “They are training to fight in formation, and to carry out
assignments by means of formations: gaining control of an area of land,
holding down a post, taking over one of our positions, attacking a
settlement.” Other sources report “training in military formations, of
teams and squads, which is far from the usual training of a police force.”
… “The PA is holding self-defense courses for civilians. The
first group of Shabiba members, the Fatah youth group, recently finished a
two-week course in Gaza that included combat training and weapons…Defense
sources say that this training includes lessons in
shooting, hand-to-hand combat and ceremonial drills. This is raising
concern in Israel, according to the sources, because it is being done on a
massive scale, primarily in Gaza.”
… “Sniper training is part of the training of Palestinian
security forces. In several confrontations, the IDF identified
Palestinians carrying Kalashnikov and M-16 assault rifles with telescopic
sights. The Palestinians claimed that the telescopic sights were purchased
by individuals on a personal basis, but Israel believes that they are part
of the military equipment being smuggled into the PA from abroad.
… “The PA continues to try to smuggle in more weapons. Arafat
issued an authorization to smuggle weapons and to purchase them on the
black market.”
… “The Palestinians have anti-tank missiles and a large number
of land mines, which they will try to place in the path of Israeli tanks
should Israel attempt to re-enter and occupy Palestinian cities. They may
also have rocket-propelled grenades.” -
Israel Intercepts Boatloads of Smuggled PA Weapons
Two boatloads of weapons were intercepted by the Israeli Army on
February 27, 1998 near the northern part of the Dead Sea. The Israeli
daily Ma’ariv (March 1, 1998) quoted “senior Israeli security sources” as
saying: “Only the Palestinian Authority has the ability, the infrastructure
and the money with which to carry out an operation of this magnitude, and
all signs point to them as being behind the smuggling.” They said the
smuggled may have been part of the PA’s
ongoing efforts “to arm itself in preparation for a possible armed
conflict with Israel.” The weapons shipment included more than 100 rifles
(Kalashnikovs, M-16s, and hunting rifles), dozens of pistols, and a large
amount of ammunition. -
PA Conducting Military Exercises, Stockpiling Weapons
The Israeli daily Ma’ariv, on January 15, 1998, quoted Israeli
military officials as saying that “the Palestinians have been conducting
‘offensive’ drilling and amassing large quantities of weapons in
preparation for a possible confrontation with Israel…the Palestinians in
the territories possess some 35,000 firearms, almost twice the number
allowed under the Oslo accords are also procuring anti-tank
weapons and possibly also anti-aircraft Stinger missiles.” - PA Smuggling Missiles Through Gaza-Egypt Tunnels
The Jerusalem Post, quoting the London-based intelligence
newsletter Foreign Report, reported on January 22, 1998 that Using secret
tunnels under the border between Egypt and Gaza, the Palestinians have
smuggled in ‘a couple of hundred’ rocket-propelled grenades and a number of
old SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles. They are also reportedly digging holes
under main roads in the West Bank, which will be able to hold bombs to be
set off against an Israeli tank advance.” - Senior PA Officials Smuggling Weapons
Major-General Shlomo Yanai, chief of the Israeli Army’s Southern
Command, said on April 25, 1997 that “senior Palestinian Authority
officials are taking advantage of their VIP status to smuggle weaponry into
PA-controlled areas in Gaza.” (SNS News Service, April 25, 1997) - PA Manufacturing Its Own Grenades and Ammunition
The PA has “established factories for manufacturing ammunition,
including a plant which produces hand grenades,” according to the Israeli
daily Yediot Ahronot (April 15, 1997). The Oslo accords prohibit the PA
from having offensive weapons, such as hand grenades. The report also
noted that “the establishment of the factories is but one in a series of
actions taken by the Palestinian Authority with the aim of increasing the
quantity and types of forbidden weaponry in their possession,” including
the illegal transfer of “submachine guns and other light weapons” from
other countries to PLO-controlled territory. - PA Manufacturing Various Weapons
Israel Television reported (Jan. 6, 1997) that “hand grenades,
shells, and possibly even Katyusha rockets are being manufactured within Gaza.” Labor Party Knesset Member Dalia Itzik said that the
reports were “very disturbing and, if proven true, constitute
a violation of the Oslo agreement.” - PA Acquiring Missiles
Time magazine reported (Dec.8, 1996) that “Yasser Arafat’s security
forces are working around the clock to obtain an arsenal of anti-tank and
anti-aircraft missiles–weapons they are forbidden to have under the Oslo
accords…Palestinian security officials deny any official involvement in
weapons smuggling but acknowledge that their forces already possess dozens
of LAW anti-tank missiles confiscated from or donated by local Islamic
militants.” - PA Stockpiling Various Missiles
Senior Israeli Army officers told the Israeli daily Ha’aretz
(Dec.11, 1996) that “the Palestinian Authority has not only LAW missiles
but also Saggar missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.” - PA Has Missiles and Rocket-Propelled Grenades
The Israeli daily Ma’ariv, on December 13, 1996, quoted
“Palestinian sources” as saying that the PLO has LAW missiles as well as
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and that “most of the weapons have been
smuggled in, principally via the sea to Gaza.” A follow-up report by
Ma’ariv, on January 7, 1997, found that “the Palestinian forces have large
amounts of weaponry, among them anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, such
as Katyushas and RPGs.”
