From Israel news sources: “Despite heavy pressure from the United States, Israel refuses to allow the transfer of weapons to the security forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA)…According to a report from Army Radio, the U.S. requested that Israel approve the transfer of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition and armored vehicles. After discussions among security officials, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi decided to recommend the political leadership not approve the transfers….Under the terms of the [Oslo] Accords, Israel must approve the transfer of heavy weaponry to PA security forces, which occasionally confront terror group members that are armed with superior weapons smuggled with Iranian assistance…
“Israel Ganz, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council and the chairman of the Yesha Council, praised the ‘correct decision’….’Transferring ammunition and weapons to the enemy, especially during wartime, is complete madness and a breach of security for the citizens of the State of Israel….The Palestinian Authority is a terrorist organization – and a terrorist organization should be defeated,’ Ganz declared.”
Ya think?
My favorite quote is “Transferring ammunition and weapons to the enemy, especially during wartime, is complete madness.” Whether or not the Palestinian Authority is fairly described as a terrorist organization, the official position of all the various Palestinian organizations, convoluted and unstable though they are, is that Israel has no right to exist.
I will admit to the possibility that I am missing something, but it seems to me that pressuring Israel at this time to hand over weapons to any Palestinian group is as responsible as pressuring them to make the official language of their nation Swedish and have Israelis wear their underwear on the outside.
Just because the President is demented doesn’t mean we should try to make other countries behave irrationally too.
Ethics Alarms 
Madness indeed.
Israel is the front line of the coming war between a sixth-century religion and western civilization. US media tends not to cover what’s going on in Europe, let alone Africa.
Coming war?
Fair point. They’re at war with us, and have been for a long time. Western civilization doesn’t appear willing to recognize that yet.
They’re just fallout from FDR’s State Department Brain Trusters. Those Baby Boomers who grew up with their parents’ hagiographic memories of Roosevelt have canonized his policies and all that went with them. Our 32nd President affects the world today in many ways, but I don’t think its anywhere more dire than how his party looks at Israel.
Great point, AM. FDR is a unique example in US history (there are many in world history) of a leader whose triumphs and positive leadership accomplishments were so crucial and important that a long list of missteps and detestable actions have to be forgiven to a significant extent. But what a list! No American figure who not only is revered by history and deserves to be was simultaneously guilty of so many terrible actions and blunders.
Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan are younger than Baby Boomers. I think the smarty pants guys in charge of the State Department are simply anti-American and anti-Western due to their having been educated by Commies.
I think these guys are called “internationalists.” One of their tenets is that every country is equal to every other country, as is every culture. So, everybody deserves weaponry. We’re all citizens of the world. I don’t think we can hang this on FDR. I think it’s the post-WWII existentialists out of France. The Deconstructionists. They’ve been running the academy since the fifties.
I’m trying to find the reports but I vaguely recall seeing something about PA forces attacking Hamas elements recently. The two entities hate each other- if my memory is accurate, it would be seen that PA is trying to take advantage of Hamas’ degradation to re-establish itself.
This could be a road for Israel to aid in the two entities further degrading each other to the benefit of Israel.
But Israel will have far better intel on the situation than we will AND the personal context to decide their security priorities.
It wouldn’t necessarily be right or wrong for Israel to temporarily arm the PA if it made strategic or tactical sense right now and long term. But if Israel says “no”, then they are seeing something we aren’t and they’re the ones in the hot seat.
So insisting, on our part without compelling evidence that it is *right* to do so, when Israel says “no, it isn’t”, is unethical.
That US policy of encouraging the Iraq-Iran war worked out so well….
Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, and if given the opportunity would slaughter every Jewish man, woman, and child. They might fight each other for control, but they’re just two sides of the same coin.
This movie is a big reason I remain a Woody Allen fan.
Ditto. (“I am J. Edgar Hoover. I am in disguise. I have many enemies.”)