According to a senior IDF officer in Central Command quoted anonymously by Walla News, the PA (Palestinian Authority) has an interest in keeping “the Palestinian issue” in the media spotlight ahead of the visit of US President Barak Obama. President Obama is expected to arrive on March 20, 2013 for a 48-hour visit to Israel, including meeting with PA leaders in Ramallah.

As such, the senior officer does not believe that the violence and increased attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians over recent days will abate any time soon. The officer points to the media coverage of the events of recent days and how the injuries sustained by a number of Arabs as a result of the IDF response are portrayed more dramatically than the incidents themselves.

Despite statements from a number of Israeli leaders that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was not encouraging the violence, the senior officer disagrees, stating the PA leadership is indeed encouraging the violence seen in recent days towards keeping the issue on the front page of the media. The officer explains the IDF is trying to show the PA leadership that their actions will have a negative impact, for in essence, what is seen around the world is their inability to control their people and maintain law and order in PA areas.

Regarding the fact that a number of PA residents taking part in the violence sustaining serious injury, the officer reports that junior officers who are in the field in those areas are taking part in lectures aimed at addressing how to deal with the civil violence and attacks in the hope of keeping injuries to an absolute minimum.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)