The head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that he was “terminating all agreements with israel and the United States, including security cooperation” over Israel's intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the predominately Palestinian West Bank.
Although sources close to the Palestinian leader told israel Hayom newspaper that the intentions of the leader to end all cooperation with Israel and the US were “serious”, they also stated that his assertion was mostly declarative and George Jaqman, Director of the Ramallah-based Institute for Democratic Studies, believes it is unlikely that Mahmoud Abbas will go ahead with the move.
Abbas Cries Wolf Again
“He can say whatever he wants in the media but the truth is that we simply don't know whether Abbas has a strategic plan to implement his declaration. We will only believe it if we see its practical implementation on the ground,” Jagman explained.
However, that might prove a difficult task. Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1993, Ramallah has cooperated with Tel Aviv on various levels, including that of security, helping the Jewish state thwart major terrorist attacks.
Last November, for example, the PA allegedly handed Tel Aviv “crucial information” that led to the tracking and subsequent elimination of a top Islamic Jihad commander, Baha Abu Al Atta.
But the security cooperation has also helped the PA. In recent years, Hamas, which has been competing with Abbas' Fatah,…
