Tit for Tat, and then some.

IDF Radio reported today a decision from last week: "As a confidence building measure with the Palestinian Authority, the IDF Central Command is now allowing Israeli tour guides to bring tourists groups into Bethlehem. The IDF Command and civil administration with soon evaluate if to allow Israeli tourism into the PA-controlled city as well."

Following the above report, IDF radio continued: In response to the IDF's outstretched good-will gesture, a Bethlehem Palestinian attempted to stab Israeli civilians at the Gush Etzion junction. The terrorist was apprehended by IDF forces from the combat Kfir Brigade; they confiscated his knife and he was transferred over to Israel's Police. (source, IDF Spokesman)

Regardless, the Palestinian Authority was relieved that they too received a call from the US State Department, that they were also mentioned among the WikiLeaks CableGate files.

"They aren't making a big deal out of it, and they hope we won't either," a senior Palestinian official told Ma'an, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. "But when they're telling us 'Don't overreact,' that basically translates as 'There's something you're not going to like.'"

According to the message from the US, some of the leaked cables will confirm assumptions about America's support for Israel over the Palestinians in the peace process. They will also articulate Washington's stance against the inter-Palestinian reconciliation talks, the PA has been told.

But as far as the Palestinians are concerned, the expected disclosure will confirm more US policy than it exposes, the source said. "It's already known that the Americans are against reconciliation. It's known that they love [Fatah strongman] Muhammad Dahlan. And it's known that they, frankly, love Israel."

A spokesman for the PA denied knowledge of the conversation.

A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas did not return calls.

The US declined to confirm if either the PA or Israel had been briefed. State Department spokeswoman Nicole Thompson told Ma'an that it was not a "far-fetched" possibility, however. "US officials have been reaching out to our global counterparts over the past few days about the possibility of leaked information," she said. (Maan)

You can bet the PA would have been even more annoyed had they not been mentioned, since that would make them even more irrelevant.


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