Netanyahu must oust the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) thereby ending the mandate of the international observer force Israel’s Public Safety Minister Gilad Erdan said on Thursday.
Erdan issued his call 14 days before his decision to renew the mandate of the organization that has operated in al-Khalil (Hebron) for 12 years was expected to be in.
According to the Jerusalem Post daily TIPH has 13 local staff and 64 other members who come from contributing countries such as: Italy Norway Sweden Switzerland and Turkey.
They are tasked with monitoring compliance with the 1997 agreement that split the city and handed 80% of it to the Palestinian Authority and with 20% of it maintained under Israeli control. TIPH produces reports and patrols the city to give Palestinians a sense of security.
Edran has given Netanyahu a secret police report with data to back up his assertion that the organization is anti-Israel rather than a neutral force and is harmful to both the soldiers stationed in al-Khalil and the Jewish community that lives there.
The report has never been published and its contents have not been disclosed.
“It is no wonder that a force composed of policemen from a hostile Islamic state such as Turkey and pro-Palestinian countries that sponsor boycotts [against Israel] such as Sweden and Norway interferes with Israeli soldiers and police creates friction with the settlers cooperates with radical organizations and promotes the delegitimization of Israel. It is right and proper for the Israeli government to prevent the continued activity of this ‘temporary’ force acting to harm Israel.” Erdan said.
With his statement on Thursday he has added his voice to a campaign by right-wing politicians including by Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely to pressure Netanyahu not to renew the TIPH’s mandate.
In November Netanyahu stated that he would review the situation in December but has issued no public statement on the matter.
