Two Jerusalem residents arrested for allegedly working for PA security

Police arrested two east Jerusalem residents on Wednesday who were allegedly working for the Palestinian Authority security system.

The two residents of the Old City and Sur Bahir were arrested in a joint operation of the Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). They were later brought for questioning at the Police Central Unit headquarters in the capital.

According to the implementation of the Interim Agreement Law (1994) regarding Israel’s relations with the PA, it is prohibited for Israeli residents or citizens to serve in the PA’s armed forces, and the punishment for breaking this law is up to five years in prison.

A spokeswoman for the Jerusalem Police told The Jerusalem Post that the two were “operating against [ Jewish] residents of east Jerusalem,” but could not go into details regarding their activity. However, she stressed that police found documents and evidence that tied the suspects to illegal activities.

“An Israeli resident can be an official in the Palestinian Authority, such as in its Education Ministry, but he cannot work for the Palestinian security system. It is against the law,” she said.

The spokeswoman stated that due to police and Shin Bet deterrence, it is not common for east Jerusalem residents to join the PA security forces.

“There are not many of them operating inside Israel, and once we know that such activity is going on, we immediately act to stop it,” she said.

The suspects’ remand was extended by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court and police said that the district prosecutor is expected to file an indictment against them soon.

The PA security forces declined to comment on this report.