The Palestinian Authority did not arrest anyone on suspicion of carrying out the attack that took place in Jerusalem last Thursday, and it did not even open an investigation into this matter. A Palestinian security source told us on Friday that if the State of Israel makes an official request to the Palestinian Authority, then the Authority will open an investigation.

Until now, security coordination has been conducted through an appeal by the Israeli security officials in the West Bank to their counterparts in the Palestinian Authority, usually an appeal by the Shin Bet to the Palestinian security mechanisms. Most likely this time to the Shin Bet asked the Palestinian security mechanisms to participate in the investigation of the attack that took place in Jerusalem on Thursday, although we do not know this for sure, and this is only our assessment. On Friday we addressed a question to a Palestinian security source, whether the PA arrested a suspect in the execution or planning of the double attack that took place in Jerusalem last Thursday, and whether Israel requested the extradition of such a detainee. The answer of the security source was that "not only did the Authority not arrest anyone, but it did not even open an investigation." The source added, "The Authority will open an investigation if Israel sends it an official request." Until Friday November 25, Israel did not make such a request.

An official political appeal, customary between countries, while the appeal through the security system in Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians, under the auspices of the coordinator of Israeli government operations in Judea and Samaria, is anchored in agreements between Israel and the PLO. It is not clear whether the PA is acting this way ad hoc in order to achieve a certain goal, or whether this expresses a fundamental change in Palestinian political behavior that will affect security coordination with Israel, in the manner described in this report.