Leader of Fateh movement in the West Bank, Hussein el-Sheikh has called on officials in the Palestinian Authority to cease using Israeli-issued VIP permits, reported The Jerusalem Post newspaper.
The paper said that Sheikh’s remarks came in protest of the confiscation of chief of intelligence department Tawfiq Tirawi's permit on Saturday.
The Fateh official said that the cards are an Israel attempt to set up different status levels in Palestinian society, differing between the "salt of the earth" and leaders in the Palestinian Authority.
Tirawi was intercepted by Israeli soldiers while on his way to the West Bank city of Ramallah, who forced him to walk 2 kilometers on foot and give up his VIP card, Palestinian security sources said.
Ironically, the VIP card, agreed upon at Oslo, was originally supposed to facilitate transport in and out of Israel for its bearers.
Tirawi told Albawaba.com that he demanded from the soldiers, who arrived in four Israeli army jeeps, that they "either shoot or arrest me."
The chief, who said he "does not want to comment at this stage," added that he has already reported the incident to the liaison office in Ramallah.
The Palestinian National Authority, meanwhile, described the Israeli soldier's move as another form of aggression and harassment on the part of the occupying government – (Several Sources)
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