A sieve with very large holes

From DEBKAfile’s security sources: November 2, 2005, 5:03 PM (GMT+02:00) ...

Plan for European inspectors at Rafah crossing – a sieve with very large holes. Israeli defense minister Shaul Mofaz holds talks in Washington.

He took with him Israel’s approval of a plan to deploy European inspectors at the Gaza-Egyptian border terminal of Rafah in lieu of an Israel security monitoring presence of four decades. The World Bank director for the West Bank and Gaza Strip commended this concession “as a very big step, a major departure in Israeli policy.”

But the Palestinians are stalling.
They object to handing the European monitors any authority but that of passive observers and will not hear of CCTV cameras for screening entrants to be linked to Israel. Ahead of Israel’s pullout from the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Abbas agreed the Rafah border would be reopened only with Israel’s agreement.

DEBKAfile adds: Because of Palestinian non-cooperation, the European monitors will be about as effective as the Egyptian border police in blocking out access to terrorists and smuggled goods. In any case, the Europeans are only offering technical equipment for operating the terminal and will function only in conjunction with the Egyptians and the Palestinians. They have agreed to take possession of an Israeli list of undesirable terrorists or suspects but without commitment – or authority - to bar them from entering. The European observers are left with the option of complaining to the Egyptian and Palestinian Authorities when dangerous individuals are waved through from Sinai to the Gaza Strip and reporting to Israel.

Israel security sources have described the plan to DEBKAfile as a sieve with very large holes.