Israeli-run zones shield West Bank criminals

When Nasser Qaout went to investigate strange sounds in his sheep pen late at night, a gang of armed thieves shot him in the leg and made off with half his flock.

He and Palestinian police know who the thieves are – and even where they are – but a year and half later, they’re still in their homes about three miles down the road.

Police say they can’t arrest the crooks because they live in an Israeli-controlled area, which Palestinian forces can’t enter freely. It’s a unique dilemma for Palestinian law enforcement: How to maintain security when criminals have more freedom of movement than police do.

The international community considers the Palestinians’ ability to handle internal security a prerequisite for independence. European countries gave $5.3 million last year to bolster Palestinian security forces, and the United States has given more than $160 million for that purpose since 2007.

The European and U.S. emphasis is on bolstering the strength of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas against the militant Islamic movement Hamas and similar groups. Israel is constantly demanding Abbas’ Palestinian Authority crack down on militants.

But Palestinian police also must fight common crime, and they say the jigsaw puzzle of security zones that cover the West Bank, dividing it between Israeli- and Palestinian-controlled areas, hampers their work.

Israel occupied the territory in the 1967 Mideast war and maintains overall control, although international agreements have given the Palestinian Authority limited autonomy in some areas.

Palestinian police can only enter Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank with permission, which they say is often difficult or impossible to obtain, making these virtual black holes ideal hideouts for criminals.

Officers can’t wear uniforms, carry guns or chase criminals on main roads that enter Israeli-controlled zones, making it easy for car thieves and drug dealers to escape, police said. Outlaws are also known to seek refuge in villages close to Israeli military installations or Jewish settlements, knowing Palestinians police won’t be allowed in to arrest them.