WAR: Palestinian Authority Issues Weapons Ban

In yet another move aimed at decreasing violence in the West Bank and Gaza, the Palestinian leadership have banned civilians from carrying weapons. In addition, a new interior minister, previously known for his hard line stance against militants, has been appointed. The moves sparked very rare praise from the Israeli government.




Yet another positive move in what looks like our best chance for a truce in the region. However, I fear that hardliners on both sides, who have no interest in peace, will rear their ugly heads again. The world needs to step in and take a greater role at this point to help the already building momentum.

well its a step in the right direction but enforcing it is going to be very hard. as I'm pretty shore you can go to a market there and pick up a 47 quite easily and quite cheaply.

Well, to me whether or not it actually works is less relevant than the fact that the new Palestinian leadership is actually putting in the effort. It shows that the Palestinians are interested in making progress, and things are actually looking up. I'm hopeful.

It will be a hard sell, I think. Most of the palestinian resistance groups are quite fond of their weapons.

Civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan are allowed one AK-47 per adult male. I don't see why Palestinians should be treated any differently. Israeli settlers still have all their guns, don't they? If the Israeli's take away the settlers guns, this might work, but I don't see that happening. The whole scenario is pretty far fetched in my opinion. Even the IRA won't give up their guns, what makes anybody think Hamas will?

And as far as Israeli praise, that's the kiss of death to a Palestinian politician. How can he demand anything of his people if they think he's playing for the other side? I'm not seeing this as a positive development at all, but time will tell.

I have no faith in abbas, he's said before that he won't confront the militias and was certainly willinging to appeal to militancy (ie referenceing the 'zionist enemy') to get elected, no reason to think he won't appeal to them to stay in power and while in power.

How can he possibly disarm the citizenry if he doesn't have the power? I mean, if he could do someting about it all that'd be great, but the palestinians, they missed the boat. The Israelis are evacuating their settlements and putting up a security wall. The one thing the palestinians had in the favour, terrorism, is being pulled out from under them.

Originally posted by Nygdan
I have no faith in abbas, he's said before that he won't confront the militias and was certainly willinging to appeal to militancy (ie referenceing the 'zionist enemy')

I have to disagree with you there. Abbas represents the best chance for peace short of an all out war. You will note that isreal did not dwell on campaign comments made by him, rather thay said that they wouls be looking at his actions after he was elected.

I hope you are correct. I fear that Krauthammer's consideration will prove correct, unfortunately.

Dec. 31: Abbas reiterates his undying loyalty to Arafat's maximalist demands: complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1949 armistice lines, Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, and -- the red-flag deal-breaker -- the "right of return,''

and

On Jan. 2 he tells Hamas terrorists firing rockets that maim and kill Jewish villagers within Israel, ``This is not the time for this kind of act.'' This is an interesting ``renunciation'' of terrorism: Not today, boys; perhaps later, when the time is right. Which was exactly Arafat's utilitarian approach to terrorism throughout the Oslo decade.

As I said before, and I even reported it in ATSNN the government of Isreal shrugged off the statements as meer capaign rhetoric and moved on. No doubt it was for local consumption etc.

In the past ceasefires were just an excuse for rapid palastinian rearming. I expect the smuggling tunnels will be heavily used at present.