PA Supports Terrorists

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: 23:10 Nov 05, '05 / 3 Cheshvan 5766 By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu ...

Former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon said Friday that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) supports keeping terrorists strong so he can use them as a lever against Israel.

Ya'alon, speaking to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Abbas has disappointed him. 'I was one of those who thought that Mahmoud Abbas would lead the Palestinian Authority (PA) in another direction than Chairman [Yasser] Arafat.'

The retired lieutenant general added, "He [Abbas] appears as weak. He is not so weak. He uses weakness as an excuse [and] prefers to keep them [terrorists] in power as a tool."

The former IDF chief blamed Abbas for the current state of anarchy, which he explained has placed PA Arab areas on the brink of splitting up into regions controlled by different terrorist groups.

Ya'alon, who is a one-year resident at the Institute, stated, "I haven't seen yet on the Palestinian side leadership that it is ready for settlement on the two-state solution." He said he does not think Israel should take responsibility for the Arab population in Judea and Samaria, but added, "We don't want to be in a situation without defensible borders."

Referring to Syria, he predicted that President Bashar Assad will not remain in power. "He is performing very badly. He made all the possible mistakes."

Ya'alon stepped down this summer as IDF chief after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, in an unprecedented move, did not extend his term of office as usually is done. Ya'alon, while not opposing the expulsion policy, had expressed reservations about it.