Four Palestinians have been detained for attending a Jewish holiday celebration in a West Bank settlement, according to Palestinian officials.
A senior Palestinian security official said Sunday that “any Palestinian cooperation with settlers is viewed as violating the law, as he cooperates with the enemy.” He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to discuss the matter.
The Palestinians, along with the international community, object to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek both territories as parts of a future independent state, a position that has wide international backing. With nearly 600,000 Israelis now living in settlements on occupied lands, the Palestinians say their goal of establishing an independent state alongside Israel is rapidly vanishing.
While Palestinians see settlements as illegal, thousands of Palestinian laborers in the economically depressed West Bank continue to work in menial jobs in the Israeli communities.
The security official said the government is aware of laborers who have no choice but to work in settlements to support their families. He said officials are interrogating the men who attended last week’s celebration to see if they violated any laws.
The four Palestinians were arrested Thursday after attending a Sukkot celebration in Efrat, a settlement outside of Jerusalem. During the holiday, it is customary for Jewish hosts to invite guests for meals inside a tent-like structure meant to symbolize the dwellings that ancient Israelites used during 40 years in the desert after being released from slavery in Egypt.
Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi, who hosted the gathering, called on the Palestinian Authority to release his guests.
“It is absurd that having coffee with Jews is considered a crime by the Palestinian Authority,” he said.

Source: Arab News