Israel rejects Russian request to give PNA armored vehicles: report

Israel has turned down a Russian request to allow the transfer of 25 armored personnel carriers (APCs) to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank, local daily Ha'aretz reported Sunday.

During his Thursday meeting with visiting Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, who raised the request, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that his country does not necessarily oppose the measure, but this is not the right time for the transfer.

Israel looked favorably on boosting the PNA security forces, the report quoted the minister as saying.

Patrushev headed a Russian delegation that came to Israel for the biannual meeting with Israel's National Security Council, chaired by Professor Uzi Arad. Patrushev also met Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The APC deliveries, which aim to help the PNA fight terrorism, have been on the table since 2005, but successive Israeli governments have managed to evade the Russian requests, mostly due to defense establishment opposition.

Senior Israeli officials who have dealt with the issue say the Russians are very frustrated by Israel's essentially blocking of the deliveries despite promises from former prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert to allow them to go through.

"I don't understand why you are not giving authorization for importing the APCs," Patrushev was quoted by Ha'aretz as telling Barak and Arad, "These are unarmed vehicles, so what is the problem?"

A compromise solution was raised during the talks, according to which the vehicles would be sent to Jordan, assuming that Amman would agree, said the report.

Senior Israeli officials say that would enable the rapid transfer of the APCs to the PNA in case they are needed. Meanwhile, the vehicles might be made available in Jordanian training camps, where PNA security forces are being prepared, under U.S. supervision, for service in the West Bank.