AI generated this summary from the Hebrew recording. No human has checked it, and it may contain errors. The recording is the authoritative source.
In this episode of “This Week in the Middle East”, Boris Gorelik hosts Dr. Mor Shapiro, a lecturer in Arabic at Bar-Ilan University and a researcher at the Mitvim Institute. The two discuss the unprecedented security operation launched by the Palestinian Authority in the Jenin refugee camp, aiming to restore its governance in an area considered the terror capital of the West Bank.
Read the full episode summary
Jenin, the Palestinian Authority’s ‘black sheep’
According to Mor Shapiro, Jenin, and especially its refugee camp, has long been considered the ‘black sheep’ of the Palestinian Authority. The city, located in the northern Samaria region, is relatively disconnected from the PA’s centers of power and commerce like Ramallah and Hebron. The Palestinian Authority lost its governance and sovereignty there, and struggled to deal with the armed groups operating in the camp. Shapiro explains that the Jenin refugee camp is one of the most densely populated places in the territories, with narrow alleys that make military activity very difficult. She mentions Operation Defensive Shield, in which IDF forces had to move through the walls of houses to avoid explosive devices planted in the alleys. Due to these conditions, the PA has so far refrained from decisive action in the camp, understanding that it has no real power there.
Operation ‘Homeland Shield’
Recently, in a dramatic move, the PA decided to change course and launched a large-scale operation named ‘Homeland Shield’ (Himayat al-Watan). According to Shapiro, the immediate trigger for the action was an incident where militants from the ‘Jenin Battalion’ stole vehicles belonging to an elite unit of the Palestinian security forces and paraded them defiantly around the city. This event, along with the killing of several Palestinian security personnel by militants, brought Abu Mazen and his advisors to a boiling point. The spokesperson for the security forces, Anwar Rajab, called the militants “groups lacking a national culture” and declared that the PA is determined to establish a state with serious security forces that know how to hold territory. The PA also called on residents to cooperate against the “lawbreakers” and announced its intention to expand the operation to other areas of the West Bank.
Harsh criticism in the Arab world
The PA’s operation, which according to Boris and Shapiro could not have been carried out without close coordination with Israel, sparked harsh criticism. The Al Jazeera channel claimed the operation serves Israel and warned the PA to learn from the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. A host on the channel, Mustafa Ashour, mocked the operation’s name and asked if ‘Homeland Shield’ means carrying out the occupier’s role. He accused the PA of using American and European weapons to eliminate the resistance to Israel instead of supporting it, thereby playing into the hands of the settlers. In response, the Palestinian Authority banned Al Jazeera reporters from entering the West Bank, claiming their coverage is biased and supports outlaws.
Why now?
Shapiro identifies several underlying reasons for the PA’s decision to act now. First, Abu Mazen feels he is being sidelined in discussions about “the day after” in Gaza, and he wants to demonstrate strength and governance to prove the PA is a relevant partner. Second, he wants to project an image of a strong leader ahead of the possibility that Donald Trump might return to the White House. Third, the PA claims it is fighting against the “long arm” of Iran, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, which are trying to destabilize the West Bank. It fears the West Bank will be destroyed like Gaza, so it is acting to prevent this. Finally, the PA wants to preempt Israel and prevent a large-scale Israeli military operation, a kind of “Defensive Shield 2”, which it fears will happen if Israel sees images of RPGs in the hands of militants in Jenin.
The fear of ‘Syria 2’
Boris asks if the events in Syria, where rebels succeeded in toppling the Assad regime, influenced the decision. Shapiro answers with a firm yes. According to her, Abu Mazen is very afraid of the possibility that the militants in Jenin, seeing the success of the rebels in Syria led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, will be inspired and try to undermine his rule. He understands that if he does not act decisively, he will be perceived as weak, and so he decided to take preventive action.
The Palestinian street and the look ahead
Shapiro describes a complex picture of public opinion. On one hand, militants in Jenin are publishing videos in which they threaten suicide attacks against PA forces, but also state that they prefer the struggle to be directed against Israel and not against their Palestinian “brothers”. They feel they have broad support on the street. On the other hand, Shapiro argues that the Palestinian street is very angry with the PA, which has not held elections for 20 years. The younger generation of militants, who grew up in the shadow of Operation Defensive Shield, sees the PA as a governing body forced upon them, which pushes them into the arms of extremist organizations like Islamic Jihad. These are people who feel they have nothing to lose, and therefore they are particularly dangerous. Shapiro concludes that she does not foresee a “Gaza 2” scenario in Jenin, but emphasizes that Israel must closely monitor developments and act in coordination with the PA. She expresses skepticism about the PA’s ability to control the extremist elements, but hopes it will succeed.
The original episode, in Hebrew: למה הרשות נלחמת בג׳נין?