6. Reexamine Security Arrangements in Area B

Despite Area B having an exclusively Palestinian population comprised of Palestinian towns and villages, Israel has overall security control of the territory. Nonetheless, the IDF’s mandate does not include security or policing for Palestinian residents of Area B, making basic law and order a chronic problem. This not only seriously erodes Palestinian quality of life but also damages the standing of the Palestinian Authority. Israel and the PA should launch a limited pilot program for Area B that turns over security control in some key areas to the PASF, which is consistent with the arrangements laid out in the Oslo Accords and would assist the PA in boosting its governance capacity while establishing every day security for Palestinians living in Area B.