The Palestinian Security Services (PSS) are the armed forces and intelligence agencies of the State of Palestine. They comprise twelve branches, notably the Security Forces, the civil police, the Presidential Guard and the national security forces.Perry Anderson, 'The House of Zion,' New Left Review 1 December 2015. The President of the Palestinian National Authority is Commander-in-Chief of the Palestinian Forces.The Palestinian Security Services: Past and Present. MIFTAH, 30 May 2006
One in 16 West Bank Palestinians work for these branches, making the area one of the most policed populations in the world. Both their training and funding are mainly provided by the United States and Israel. The Palestinian Authority spends more on its security than the combined budgetry disbursements it makes for education and health services.
Background The State of Palestine has no land army, nor an air force or a navy. The Palestinian Security Services (PSS, not to be confused with the Preventive Security Service) do not possess heavy weapons and advanced military equipment like tanks.
In the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, Israel has consistently demanded that the Palestinian state would always be demilitarized. Israeli negotiators demanded to keep Israeli troops in the West Bank, to maintain control of Palestinian airspace, and to dictate exactly what weapons could and could not be purchased by the Palestinian security forces.Demanding a demilitarized state. Gregg Carlstrom, Al Jazeera, 25 January 2011 In June 2009 at Bar-Ilan University, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ″We cannot be expected to agree to a Palestinian state without ensuring that it is demilitarised.″
Article XII of the Oslo II Accord states: ″In order to guarantee public order and internal security for the Palestinians of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the [Palestinian] Council shall establish a strong police force as set out in Article XIV below. Israel shall continue to carry the responsibility for defense against external threats, including the responsibility for protecting the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, and for defense against external threats from the sea and from the air, as well as the responsibility for overall security of Israelis and Settlements, for the purpose of safeguarding their internal security and public order, and will have all the powers to take the steps necessary to meet this responsibility.″Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, 28 September 1995. From the Knesset website
Article II of Annex I stipulates: ″The Palestinian Police is the only Palestinian security authority.″Oslo II Accord, Annex I: Protocol Concerning Redeployment and Security Arrangements, Article II.1. 28 September 1995
The Annex allows a security force limited to six branches:Roland Friedrich, Arnold Luethold and Firas Milhem, The Security Sector Legislation of the Palestinian National Authority , p. 20 (3,2 MB). Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), January 2008. On website Civil Police Public Security Preventive Security Presidential Security Intelligence Emergency Services and Rescue (Civil Defence)
Organization
From Oslo to Second Intifada Following the Oslo Accords in 1993, the number of separate Palestinian security forces, all under the exclusive control of President Arafat, had grown considerably. Based on the 1994 Cairo Agreement, "a strong police force" was formed which steadily grew far beyond the agreed numbers, to include soldiers and returnees from the diaspora.The Evolution and Reform of Palestinian Security Forces 1993–2013. Alaa Tartir, 18 September 2015; Stability: International Journal of Security and Development. 4(1), p.Art. 46. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/sta.gi. See Figure 2: diagram of statutory and non-statutory forces By 1996, the PA had more than 35,000 security officers on its payroll.Friedrich and Luethold–2007, pp. 17–18 Arafat ruled the forces in an authoritarian divide-to-rule manner, not devoid of corruption and nepotism.
During the Second Intifada, in 2002, the Israeli army virtually completely destroyed the infrastructure of the Palestinian security, leaving a security vacuum that was soon filled by armed groups. By 2006, some 70% of the Palestinians trusted non-PA forces, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, more than the PA security forces.
2002–2004 reform In 2002, Arafat created the post of Interior Minister with responsibility for public order and internal security, including authority over the security organizations Preventive Security, Civil Police and Civil Defence.Friedrich and Luethold–2007, pp. 31–32
National Security Council Under Israeli and international pressure, based on the 2003 Roadmap for peace,Full text of the "road map", Phase I: Ending terror...; 30 April 2003"Palestinians and Israelis resume security co-operation based on the Tenet work plan to end violence, terrorism, and incitement through restructured and effective Palestinian security services." Arafat started to reorganise the PSS. On 30 April 2003, Arafat issued a presidential decree calling for the establishment of a National Security Council (NSC) to oversee the PNA's security services. It was the result of a power struggle between Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and President Arafat, and international – mainly American – pressure.Arafat vs Abbas. Al-Ahram Weekly, 17–23 July 2003, Issue No. 647 Abbas would become acting Interior Minister in his new government. On 11 September, Arafat announced the formation of the 14-member Council that would supervise all the security organs, with him as chairman. Like his predecessor, the newly appointed Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei disagreed with Arafat about the appointment of the Interior Minister.In the News-New Palestinian Government. Voice of America, 15 November 2003
On 8 November 2003, Prime Minister Qurei and President Arafat, after having resolved disputes over the choice of the new Interior Minister, agreed to divide the security responsibilities between the government and the National Security Council. The NSC (headed by Arafat) became responsible for security affairs, while the Interior Minister would be in charge of non-security administrative and civilian affairs. Qurei was also a member of the NSCIsrael army kills four Palestinians. Hisham Abdallah, Middle East Online, 9 November 2003 along with the Finance Minister Salam Fayyad and the heads of the security agencies.New Palestinian government approved. CNN, 12 November 2003. Eventually, Arafat's close associate Hakam Balawi became the new Interior Minister in Qurei's Government, which was approved on 12 November 2003. However, the National Security Council remained aineffective, as Arafat continued to control the security branches directly.Friedrich and Luethold–2007, p. 38
Three branches Again under international pressure, on 17 July 2004 Arafat announced further changes to the PSS, reducing the eight separate security divisions to three branches, after 6 people were kidnapped in Gaza.Arafat refuses Qorei resignation. Sapa-AFP, 18 July 2004 The three branches were: National Security Forces, Internal Security Forces and General Intelligence.
Arafat nominated three close relatives as heads of the new branches, including his nephew Moussa Arafat, who was already head of the general security branch in the Gaza Strip. It fueled protests and internal clashes between rival sections of the security forces staffed by members of Arafat's party Fatah. The already existing protests were widely seen as a power struggle ahead of Israel's announced disengagement from Gaza.Arafat denies he is facing crisis. BBC, 24 July 2004 Yasser Arafat withdrew the controversial nomination of Moussa Arafat, but the latter remained head of the general security branch in the Gaza Strip.
2005 reform After his election as President of the Palestinian National Authority in January 2005, Mahmoud Abbas continued the reform of the security services. On 14 April 2005, Abbas confirmed that the previous 12 security divisions were to be merged into three branches, in accordance with the 2004 decree of his predecessor Arafat. On 4 June 2005, Abbas promulgated the "Law of Service in the Palestinian Security Forces No. 8 of 2005".Friedrich et al.–2008, p. 25; text of the law: pp.180–233 The three branches were:
National Security Forces – under the leadership of the Minister of National Security and under the command of the Commander-in-Chief. Interior (Internal Security Forces) – under the leadership of the Minister of the Interior and under the command of the Director-General of Internal Security. General Intelligence – affiliated with the President, under the leadership of the Head of the service.
Nasser Yousef was named head of the three branches. With the reform, Yousef's responsibilities, who was appointed Interior Minister two months earlier, were considerably expanded.Abbas orders consolidation of competing security forces . AP, 15 April 2005Chronological Review of Events Relating to the Question of Palestine Monthly media monitoring review, April 2005. UN, Division for Palestinian Rights, 4 May 2005 Rashid Abu Shbak was named the new head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service.
On 22 April, Abbas retired head of the Gaza national security forces Moussa Arafat and replaced him with Suleiman Heles; head of the Gaza General Intelligence Amin al-Hindi was replaced by Tareq Abu Rajab. Alaa Husni was appointed head of the Palestinian police, while a further 1,150 Palestinian security officials were also retired.Abbas Puts His Own Stamp on Security Force. GREG MYRE, New York Times Company, 25 April 2005
From September 2005, the NSC was headed by the President and the Prime Minister. Other members were the PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD), the Secretary General of the Presidency, the Interior Minister, the Minister of Civil Affairs, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Advisor.
Establishment of the Judicial Police Force On 12 July 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei established a Judicial Police Force under the responsibility of the Minister of Interior and National Security (at the time Nasser Yousef). The new force was part of the Civil Police Force and its tasks were inter alia described as: implement decisions of the courts and the Public Prosecution; protect the buildings housing the courts, the judges and the Public Prosecution; and transport and protect persons held in custody and convicts.Friedrich et al.–2008, Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 99 of 2005 Concerning the Establishment of a Judicial Police Force; pp. 267–268 A Judicial Police subject to the Public Prosecution's Attorney-General already existed in 1995 since the Oslo Accords.Friedrich et al.–2008, Decision No. 287 of 1995, 9 December 1995; pp. 375–376
2006–2007 internal power struggle Hamas won the parliamentary elections of January 2006 and formed a Hamas-led government in March, leading to a power struggle over the security services with the Fatah Abbas presidency.Analysis: The Hamas-Fatah war. Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, 23 May 2006 It appears, President Abbas tried to remove the Fatah-dominated security organizations from the control of the Government, and, with the support of Western governments, restore the old structure of the security sector as it had existed under Arafat.Friedrich and Luethold–2007, p. 22