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IDF killing of Palestinians on Nakba Day a warning

The failure of diplomatic negotiations undermines the Palestinians' motivation to maintain security coordination with the IDF, as was the case in the shooting at the Bitunia checkpoint, where two Palestinians were killed.
A Palestinian medic argues with an Israeli border policeman during a demonstration marking the 66th anniversary of the "Nakba," meaning catastrophe, when many Palestinians fled or were expelled from their towns and villages during the war of Israel's foundation in 1948, at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City May 15, 2014. An Israeli police spokesman said on Thursday that 5 Palestinian protesters were detained during the unauthorized demonstration in Jerusalem's Old City, where stones were thrown at police
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Tensions in the occupied territories are on the rise. Two young Palestinians — Mohammad Abu al-Taher, 22, and Nadim Nuwara, 17 — were killed near the Bitunia checkpoint during the Nakba Day protests May 15. According to Palestinian sources, they were shot with live ammunition during clashes with Israeli troops. On the face of it, this is yet another incident reflecting the stormy, restless atmosphere in the Palestinian Authority (PA). The reasons for this unrest have often been explained in recent months: frustration, unemployment, lack of diplomatic horizon, weakening of the Palestinian security apparatus and so on.

Yet, the Nakba Day incident in Bitunia should not be viewed as just another bloody incident, but rather as a warning signal. When analyzing the conduct of the Palestinian security forces before and during the clashes in which the two young men were killed, it appears that the PA's capacity to control violent events — which was very successful in the past — is now highly doubtful.

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