Some senior PA (Palestinian Authority) officials have been issued a VIP card by Israel, a card that permits them to bypass checkpoints and enter Green Line Israel at times when other PA residents are prohibited from doing so.

At least one PA official, Prime Minister Abu Ala feels that his position permits him to ignore Israel Police, even when being chased while they travel with their lights and sirens on.

Abu Ala was caught on radar traveling 145 KPH in an 80 KPH zone in northern Jerusalem. Police did not know that he was in the car. They only knew the Mercedes sedan with PA license plates was speeding. Police set up a roadblock as the high-speed chase continued winding through streets of the capital, but the PA official was determined not to comply with Israeli law enforcement directives.

Even after being stopped the driver of the PA prime minister was unwilling to cooperate, and Abu Ala was quite belligerent. Following the intervention of IDF Coordinator of Activities in the Territories Office officials, the driver agreed to give his personal information and he will report to an Israel Police Traffic Unit hearing.

Abu Ala accuses traffic police of treating him like a criminal, not like a senior PA government official. He told Maariv that it is clear from the message that Israel Police prefers to mock senior PA officials, as was evident by this incident.

Israel Police accuse the PA prime minister of intentionally trying to provoke a diplomatic incident.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)