WASHINGTON, November 23, 2008 (WAFA)- Haaretz Israeli newspaper published, Saturday, an article saying that a former NATO commander proposed a NATO-based international force that would later transfer control to Palestinians.

General James Jones whom US President-elect Barack Obama is expected to assign as his national security advisor, supports, according to Haaretz, the deployment of an international force in the West Bank instead of the Israeli Occupation Forces.

Jones made this proposition in response to Israel's claim that Palestinians cannot be trusted with responsibility for security. Israeli officials say that such a force sounds wonderful, but is unpractical.

The article stated that, “Israel has worked hard over the past year to persuade the Bush administration to accept its proposals on security arrangements.”