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Israel "is undermining the [PA] war on drugs"

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik  |
       
Israel "is undermining the [PA] war on drugs"
l
Head of PA Preventive Security Force repeats PA libel
that Israel deliberately advances drug use 
among Palestinians
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by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The Palestinian Authority is suffering from the problem of drug use among Palestinians - and blaming Israel for it!

The most recent PA official to spread this libel is the head of the PA Preventive Security Force Muhannad Abu Ali. When fields were recently discovered near Jenin that were used for growing drugs, Ali said Israel is "responsible" for the growing of drugs and drug use among Palestinians:

"Head of the [PA] Preventive Security Force Muhannad Abu Ali said that the common factor in all of the growing fields that were discovered in the Jenin district is their connection to groups within the Green Line (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel; the Green Line is the ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries, 1949-1967)...  Abu Ali held the occupation (i.e., Israel) responsible for the spread of much of these phenomena in the Palestinian society.'"
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 17, 2018]

For years, the PA has repeated the libel that Israel is encouraging drug use among young Palestinians in order to "destroy the next generation." Earlier this year, Palestinian Media Watch reported that the chief of the PA Police in Tulkarem accused Israel of being "the main cause of the spread of the [marijuana] nurseries and [its] distribution in Palestinian society." [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 23, 2018] and even PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has claimed that "Israel is exporting drugs to the Palestinians in frightening amounts." [Official PA TV, Jan. 14, 2018] 



The following is the longer report on Abu Ali's statements in the official PA daily:

Headline: "Abu Ali: The occupation is undermining the war on drugs and making it easy to deal in them"
"Head of the [PA] Preventive Security Force Muhannad Abu Ali said that the common factor in all of the growing fields that were discovered in the Jenin district is their connection to groups within the Green Line (i.e., Palestinian term for Israel; the Green Line is the ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries, 1949-1967), which are exploiting the Palestinian situation and the financial conditions and striving to recruit some of the civilians, and particularly in Area C (i.e., land under full Israeli administration according to the Oslo Accords) which is not subject to Palestinian security control...
He also emphasized that the arrest of some of those involved has exposed their connection to people from the Interior (i.e., "Interior of Palestine" - PA euphemism for Israel), and added that what is happening confirms that there are efforts to put together gangs to plant these [drug] species for the benefit of Israeli groups or Palestinian groups with Israeli citizenship...
Abu Ali held the occupation (i.e., Israel) responsible for the spread of much of these phenomena in the Palestinian society, and prime among them the spread of the phenomenon of planting drugs, and said: 'If these means succeed, they are liable to destroy the foundations of the public order and create a group of people that is dealing in drugs.' He emphasized that the [PA] Preventive Security Force is carrying out the instructions of Director-General of the Force Ziyad Hab Al-Rih, to pursue everyone who attempts to exploit the Palestinian people's current situation."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 17, 2018]

Green Line - 1949-1967 ceasefire line between Israel and the neighboring Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) following Israel's War of Independence (1948-1949). Land within the Green Line is all part of the State of Israel since 1949. Land outside the Green Line includes East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights.
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