Ramallah Renews Rocky Cooperation with Israel

The Palestinian Authority announced on Tuesday it was returning to its agreement on security coordination with Israel, almost six months after it cut ties with the Israeli military. According to officials in both Jerusalem and Ramallah, the renewal of cooperation between Israel’s army and the Palestinian security forces regarding intelligence sharing and military activity was made possible thanks to a number of recent changes. The election of Joe Biden to the presidency of the United States, which means the demise of President Donald Trump’s peace plan – much despised in Ramallah – along with signals from Israel that it is forgoing any plans of annexation, are two factors. The devastating economic collapse of the PA, hastened by the severing of ties with Israel and Ramallah’s refusal to accept tax money collected from Palestinians by Israeli authorities, also facilitated the decision. Official coordination between the two neighboring governments affects a slew of daily issues for Palestinians, including security, health administration and movement into and out of Israel.