Background / IDF warns aginst repeating Abbas mistakes

[bemildred]

The high command of the Israel Defense Forces
believes that Israel contributed to the collapse
of former Palestinian premier Mahmoud Abbas'
government by making only stingy demonstrations of
support, and is warning Israel not to repeat the
mistake with Palestinian premier Ahmed Qureia, who
is now trying to form a permanent cabinet.

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The senior military officers are worried by the
possibility that maintaining widespread
pressure on the Palestinian population will
lead to a humanitarian crisis and increase
Palestinian hatred of Israel. The IDF General
Staff describes the ongoing pressure as
"sacrificing the strategic interest for the
sake of tactical considerations."

The broad assessment in the IDF is that if
Qureia repeats his predecessor's failure to
create a functioning cabinet, then Arafat will
remain the sole ruler - leading to the collapse
of the PA and anarchy in the territories.

According to the IDF, such is a scenario is
precisely what Arafat wants, as is not ready
for a two-state solution and is trying to bring
the conflict to a deadlock. Arafat is aiming
for one bi-national state in which the
Palestinians' demographic edge will win out,
and in this aspect his approach is not any
different from that of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
On the other hand, the assessment goes, Qureia
embodies some chance for compromise on the
principle of a two-state solution.

Haaretz