{"id":283146,"date":"2024-12-23T12:00:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=283146"},"modified":"2024-12-22T04:57:20","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T04:57:20","slug":"the-fenzel-plan-how-the-us-engineered-the-pas-west-bank-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2024\/12\/the-fenzel-plan-how-the-us-engineered-the-pas-west-bank-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fenzel Plan: How the US Engineered the PA\u2019s West Bank Crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_283149\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-283149\" class=\"wp-image-283149\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/palestine-PA-west-bank-ramallah-usa.jpg 1366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-283149\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Palestinian security officer fires tear gas at protesters in the center of the West Bank city of Jenin.\u00a0 Nasser Ishtayeh | AP<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>18 Dec 2024 <\/em>&#8211; The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) has initiated an armed crackdown against its own people in the occupied West Bank, a campaign reportedly backed and orchestrated by the United States. While corporate media narratives attempt to distance Washington from the operation, its roots trace back years.<\/p>\n<p>On Saturday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas <a href=\"https:\/\/mondoweiss.net\/2024\/12\/what-is-happening-in-jenin-the-pas-operation-to-crackdown-on-palestinian-resistance\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">directed<\/a> the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) to execute a large-scale operation targeting resistance groups in the embattled Jenin refugee camp. PA spokesperson Brigadier General Anwar Rajab <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bxo83Q2YejY\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">justified<\/a> the crackdown by accusing these groups of sowing \u201csedition and chaos,\u201d portraying them as foreign-backed Islamist criminals.<\/p>\n<p>The operation swiftly escalated, resulting in the <a href=\"https:\/\/peoplesdispatch.org\/2024\/12\/11\/palestinian-authority-kills-teenager-in-jenin\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">killing<\/a> of two Palestinians, including an unarmed teenager and a fighter aligned with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), who was a leader within the Jenin Brigades group. Accusations against the Palestinian Authority forces quickly mounted. UN officials <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/NaeVw#selection-659.0-661.25\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">condemned<\/a> their actions, reporting that security forces had opened fire on unarmed minors.<\/p>\n<p>PA forces were also documented using a hospital as a military base during the crackdown. From within the medical facility, they reportedly opened fire and detained eight individuals.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian Authority has sought military support from the United States, specifically requesting armored vehicles and ammunition to bolster its forces. In response, Washington has reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/16\/world-news\/us-asks-israel-to-approve-military-aid-to-palestinian-security-forces\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">urged<\/a> Israel to approve the transfer of such equipment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=falasteen47&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1868038355671490708&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mintpressnews.com%2Fthe-fenzel-plan-how-the-us-engineered-the-pas-west-bank-crackdown%2F288849%2F&amp;sessionId=b64314f352d19983589200075b144ac059584c9d&amp;siteScreenName=MintPressNews&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1868038355671490708\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Ahead of the operation, U.S. Security Coordinator Michael Fenzel is said to have held meetings with the PA security forces\u2019 leadership. These discussions reportedly centered on the planned crackdown.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/article\/rynmhihvjl\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trained <\/a>by U.S. and Canadian armed forces, the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) 2,000-strong 101st Unit has now been assigned the task of dismantling resistance groups based in Jenin. These groups span a broad political spectrum, from secular factions to religious ones.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of the siege on the Jenin refugee camp, which has resulted in the killing of at least four Palestinians, the injuring of several others, and widespread raids on civilian homes, residents of Jenin have begun staging <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.news.yahoo.com\/jenin-residents-protest-palestinian-authority-174714823.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAL-r9-gn_BAlhWorhf62lb-tlIZyKeGBACy3I2XMmetZjdTo1AXC9g8YFSm6mpQs8FRn_nFN2GNhefqOsBUj0i82hG0W274mSnU7DNJPpIC--yuhwU1DSApGC3shP_4H_KsZHFLDvMv5-4-S_3X8wNFstMhmQXymmSqDC6sAYPND\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demonstrations<\/a> against the increasingly unpopular Palestinian Authority. Anger among the population has reached a boiling point, with many likening the PA\u2019s actions to those of the Israeli military.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe PA does not have bulldozers like the [Israeli] army does. That is the only difference. The raid is the same, the blockade is the same,\u201d one Jenin resident <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/palestinian-security-forces-try-exert-control-volatile-west-bank-2024-12-17\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mainstream media outlets, including the Associated Press, have <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-palestinians-authority-jenin-hamas-islamic-jihad-131b0b0d82608142d979919330ab96c5\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">characterized<\/a> the crackdown as \u201can unusual step for the Palestinian Authority.\u201d Other outlets sought to <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-palestinians-authority-jenin-hamas-islamic-jihad-131b0b0d82608142d979919330ab96c5\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">portray<\/a> the resistance groups as Iranian-linked, attempting to paint them as foreign infiltrators instead of grassroots resistance movements in the court of public opinion.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Axios, a Palestinian Authority official described the Jenin operation as an effort to prevent \u201ca Muslim-Brotherhood-style or an Iranian-funded takeover.\u201d The official further revealed that the PA had sought approval and guidance from the United States for the operation, submitting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/15\/us-west-bank-palestinians-israel-military\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">requests<\/a> for \u201cammunition, helmets, bulletproof vests, radios, night vision equipment, explosive disposal suits, and armored cars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Axios report also cited unnamed sources claiming that the Biden administration had urged Israel to release PA tax revenues to help cover employee salaries during the crackdown.<\/p>\n<p>The United States had advocated for such a crackdown long before its recent implementation. In January 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the Palestinian Authority to accept the so-called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2023\/2\/2\/us-presses-pa-to-accept-plan-to-quash-palestinian-armed-groups\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fenzel Plan<\/a>.\u201d This American initiative proposed the creation of a specialized Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) unit, trained by U.S. personnel in Jordan, to carry out precisely the type of operation now underway in Jenin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=falasteen47&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1869176127182549358&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mintpressnews.com%2Fthe-fenzel-plan-how-the-us-engineered-the-pas-west-bank-crackdown%2F288849%2F&amp;sessionId=b64314f352d19983589200075b144ac059584c9d&amp;siteScreenName=MintPressNews&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1869176127182549358\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>To advance this strategy, the United States <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/aqaba-joint-communique\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">facilitated<\/a> a high-level security meeting in February 2023 in the Jordanian city of Aqaba. The gathering brought together Jordanian, Israeli, American, Palestinian Authority, and Egyptian officials to coordinate their approach.<\/p>\n<p>A follow-up meeting was held the following month in Egypt\u2019s Sharm el-Sheikh, where the same group of officials convened and <a href=\"https:\/\/il.usembassy.gov\/joint-communique-from-the-march-19-meeting-in-sharm-el-sheikh\/\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issued<\/a> a communique reaffirming their plans.<\/p>\n<p>With Iran\u2019s regional influence weakened by recent developments in Lebanon and Syria, and as the Israeli government advances plans to annex significant portions of the West Bank, the U.S.-backed strategy appears focused on suppressing Palestinian opposition to Washington\u2019s agenda. Central to this effort is the use of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) as a proxy.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a coalition of resistance groups, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2024\/12\/15\/why-is-the-pa-raiding-jenin-camp-fighting-resistance-group\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issued<\/a> a statement condemning the Palestinian Authority\u2019s crackdown as \u201ca serious violation of all national norms and traditions \u2026 in line with the Zionist agenda that aims to eliminate the resistance in the West Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Initially concentrated in Jenin, the operation is now set to expand to other areas, including Nablus and Tulkarem. Its ultimate aim appears to be the total dismantling of armed resistance groups, paving the way for Israel to assert control over the northern West Bank without opposition.<\/p>\n<p>________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Robert-Inlakesh.jpeg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-283148\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Robert-Inlakesh.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a>Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show \u2018<\/em>Palestine Files<em>\u2019. Director of \u2018<\/em>Steal of the Century: Trump\u2019s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe<em>\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mintpressnews.com\/the-fenzel-plan-how-the-us-engineered-the-pas-west-bank-crackdown\/288849\/\" >Go to Original &#8211; mintpressnews.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>18 Dec 2024 &#8211; The US initiative to create a specialized Palestinian Authority security force to carry out military assaults like the one now in Jenin, is focused on suppressing Palestinian opposition to Washington\u2019s agenda and is paving the way for Israeli control by crushing grassroots resistance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":283149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[3143,2642,550,767,85,109,70,481,1025],"class_list":["post-283146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-palestine-israel-gaza-genocide","tag-anti-hegemony","tag-anti-imperialism","tag-corruption","tag-middle-east","tag-palestine-israel","tag-politics","tag-usa","tag-warfare","tag-west-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283146"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283292,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283146\/revisions\/283292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}