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<font size=3><br><br>
</font><font size=2>The following appeared in the Golbe and Mail<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>Robin Hood, meet Mr. Sharon<br>
<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>By DAOUD KUTTAB<br>
Friday, February 27, 2004 - Page A19 <br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2> <br>
<br>
Call it Operation Robin Hood. On Wednesday, Israeli troops invaded the
Palestinian city of Ramallah. Aided by two computer experts they had
detained the night before, the Israelis entered two branches of the Arab
Bank and a branch of the Cairo Amman bank and emptied their vaults. Just
like real thieves, the soldiers were professional. The first thing they
did was cover the security cameras. They corralled the staff into tiny
rooms and began the process of unloading the cash from the vaults. They
also entered the computers and downloaded the data.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>Why label it Robin Hood? Not just because the merry
troops wore green fatigues. Rather it was because of the statement made
immediately after the heist by Israel's Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz. The
loot, as much as $9-million (U.S.), he said, will be spent on
"humanitarian goals in Palestinian society," like health
services, food and "improving the infrastructure at crossing points
and checkpoints."<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>So there you have it, the army of Israel, the only
democracy in the Middle East, is stealing from two well-respected
Jordanian banks in order to improve the conditions at the checkpoints.
How much more benevolent can the Israeli occupation be?<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>As a Palestinian businessman commented, perhaps the
banks should erect plaques at the new improved checkpoints:
"Sponsored by the Arab Bank," or "Sponsored by the Cairo
Amman Bank."<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>This Israeli heist is not simply a matter of trying
to update Israel's list of so-called terrorists, nor should it be seen as
part of what they call the war on terror. While allies of Israel might
see it as the failure of confidence and communications between the
Palestinians and Israel, many Palestinians see this as yet another clear
sign of the absence of a rationale for the continuation of the
Palestinian National Authority.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>Ever since the Israeli army decided to cancel the
understanding it had regarding areas of the West Bank under Palestinian
security, a vacuum has existed. Israeli soldiers and security forces come
and go as they please. The problem is that the Israeli security forces
don't stay; nor do they turn over the security powers to the Palestinians
when they leave.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>The result: In the past few weeks numerous cases of
lawlessness have swept the area. Journalists and media organizations have
been attacked by unknown assailants, and unarmed Palestinian police have
been unable to do anything to stop it. When the television station where
I work was attacked a few weeks ago, we asked the Palestinian police to
take fingerprints. They laughed and said that their laboratory had been
destroyed by the Israelis.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>The Israelis seem to have the best of both worlds.
They can come in to arrest, demolish and to steal whenever they want,
without having any of the responsibilities towards the occupied people.
The Palestinian Authority is left to pay the salaries of government
employees and to receive the wrath of their own public without having any
powers.<br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>The situation can't continue forever. But rather than
waiting for Israel to decide whether it wants to stay in the
Palestinians' cities and take over the responsibilities of occupation, or
to leave them without ever returning, the Palestinian Authority should
act. It must have the courage to throw in the keys and remove the
pretence that it has any role in the lives of Palestinians. <br>
</font><font size=3> <br>
</font><font size=2>Daoud Kuttab is director of the Institute of Modern
Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah.<br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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