PALESTINIANS SEEK TO HELP HIZBULLAH

Palestinians seeking to assist Lebanon.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have expressed their desire to travel to Lebanon to join Hizbullah in the current confrontation with Israel, Palestinian Authority security officials here said over the weekend. “Many young men, including members of the Palestinian security forces, want to join the fight against Israel in Lebanon,” one official told The Jerusalem Post. “We have thus far received hundreds of requests from people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who expressed their desire to join the Lebanese resistance forces.”

Another official said some veteran PLO security officers who were based in Beirut in the 1970s and 80s had also asked for permission to travel to Lebanon to help Hizbullah. “These officers, who have tremendous experience in fighting Israel on Lebanese soil, believe that Hizbullah could benefit from their expertise,” the official explained. He added, however, that the PA leadership had no intention at this stage to dispatch security experts and recruits to Lebanon. “The Palestinian Authority has enough problems here,” the official pointed out. “We need these men in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where we are also under attack from Israel.”

Fearing that Israel would target PA and Hamas officials living in Lebanon, the PA leadership on Saturday urged these officials to head to Syria. PA Ambassador to Lebanon Abbas Zaki said he had issued instructions to provide free transportation to all those carrying Palestinian passports to help them leave Lebanon. “I know of at least 20 men who are prepared to go to Lebanon tomorrow morning to fight against Israel,” said Zuheir Nasser, a PA security officer in Nablus. “The problem is that we don’t have enough money to cover the expenses of travel. Also, as long as Israel controls the border crossings with Jordan, it’s almost impossible for West Bankers to leave.” Muhammed Masri, a PA policeman from a village outside Ramallah, said that the majority of the Palestinians “sympathize” with Hizbullah. “Hizbullah have taught Israel a good lesson and as Arabs and Muslims we are very proud of them,” he said. “They are the only ones who care about the Palestinians while the rest of the Arab leaders are sitting on the side and watching as Israel perpetrates daily massacres against the Palestinians.”