Research Warns Palestinian Authority Security Forces Pose Immediate Threat to Israel
Retired Lt. Col. Maurice Hirsch, a legal expert at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, has published a study warning that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) security forces have evolved far beyond the limits set by the Oslo Accords, effectively becoming a terrorist army threatening millions of Israelis. In his report titled "22 Kilometers - The Threat from the PA's Terror Army," Hirsch highlights that while Hamas deployed around 6,000 militants in its October 7 attack, including 3,000 trained terrorists, the PA currently commands an armed force estimated at 70,000 personnel equipped with tens of thousands of weapons.
Hirsch explains that under the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian police force was capped at 30,000 members, with only 12,000 allowed in the West Bank, armed with limited weaponry. However, the PA's security apparatus has expanded into a broad military-like organization with advanced training, including armored units, artillery, sniper, and parachute training, some of which is provided through American, European, and Pakistani military academies. The PA itself refers to its forces as the "Palestinian Army."
The research traces the growth of PA security personnel from 18,000 in 1995 to approximately 65,000 in recent years, with most expansion occurring in the West Bank after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Hirsch also critiques Israel's historical policy of approving arms transfers and coordination with the PA, noting that these forces primarily target political rivals like Hamas rather than systematically combating terrorism against Israel.
A key concern raised is the "barrel reversal" scenario, where PA security forces might turn their weapons against Israel. Given the proximity of West Bank cities to Israeli population centers, about 22 kilometers, such an attack could endanger millions, similar to the reach of the Hamas militants in October. Hirsch urges the Israeli government to immediately halt arms transfers, reduce PA forces to Oslo Accord limits, establish independent oversight of weapons, close PA military training facilities, prepare operationally for a potential attack, and work with international partners to stop military training of PA forces.
Concluding, Hirsch warns that ignoring the growth of the PA's "terror army" is a dangerous gamble with Israeli lives, emphasizing the threat is real and imminent, and calls for proactive measures to prevent a catastrophe worse than the October 7 massacre.
