Senior security officials are recommending the imposition of personal sanctions on top Palestinian Authority (PA) figures following the recognition of a Palestinian state by a number of countries in recent days, Galei Zahal’s Doron Kadosh reported Thursday morning.
According to recommendations presented ahead of Cabinet discussions, the measures would include restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinian leaders in Judea and Samaria and limitations at the Allenby Crossing, compared to the current situation where they travel in secured convoys and enjoy full protective arrangements. The final decision will be made at the political level.
It was also reported that at the center of the recommendations is a specific focus on the rights of passage and special permits granted to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, his deputy Hussein Al-Sheikh, and other senior officials. Security sources said that revoking these permits would force the leaders to remain in Ramallah or move within a restricted area in Judea and Samaria. Also under consideration are restrictions on logistical privileges currently granted to senior officials under security coordination frameworks.
Another component of the proposal concerns personal economic sanctions targeting the officials’ businesses and sources of income, including oversight and restrictions on goods imported by their families from abroad. According to the recommendations, these measures would be targeted specifically to avoid harming the general PA population.
Security officials argue that a shift in the rules of engagement toward the PA leadership is necessary given recent diplomatic developments.
“Such measures are absolutely warranted and appropriate,” they said. “It is impossible to live with a situation in which PA leaders inflict irreversible damage on us in the international arena while benefiting from privileges from Israel which over the years have become the norm.”