Israel Rejects US Plan for Security Arrangements in the Jordan Rift Valley

Israeli defense officials claim there is no replacement for Israeli presence at the border checkpoint, not even advanced technological means

Israel Rejects US Plan for Security Arrangements in the Jordan Rift Valley

The Israeli security forces reject the US plan for security arrangements in the Jordan Rift Valley. The Israeli stand was given to US officials during the recent days, prior to another future visit in the area of the Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday.

The American suggestion is based on limited Israeli presence on the Jordan border checkpoint for a period of several years, along with massive use of technological means such as satellites and UAVs as a substitute for a massive presence on the ground.

The stand of the Israeli security establishment was summarized recently by the Minister of Defense who determined that for Israeli there is no substitute that will ensures Israel's security interests, and that technological means, as advanced as they are, cannot serve as a replacement.

It should be noted that the former Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, was willing to consider a technological, rather than physical, Israeli presence in the Jordan Rift Valley, but in the recent years there was no relevant American plan. Either way, the Palestinians strongly oppose the American plan because of a principled opposition to any Israeli presence in the Jordan checkpoint, even for a limited period, and as well the Jordanians fear that it would damage the security of the kingdom.

In view of the above, it seems that in the upcoming visit Kerry will "drop" the pretention to reach a permanent agreement between Israel and the Palestinians until the month April, and instead will promote an agreement to extend the negotiations beyond that date.