Head of Israel's Shabak visits Jenin as a guest of the Palestinian Authority's Security Services

The Israeli daily Haaretz, confirmed today (12.07.2010) that Yuval Diskin, head of Israel’s general security services, the Shabak, recently visited the Palestinian city of Jenin where he spent an entire day as a guest of the Palestinian Authority’s Security Services.

The newspaper reported that this was the second visit of its kind by Diskin to areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority in recent months and had previously visited the city of Ramallah. Both visits have until now been shrouded in secrecy and based on mutual understanding between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority.

The newspaper indicated that Diskin and a number of senior members of both the Shabak and the Israeli army had made numerous visits to areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority over the last three years. The main purpose of these visits has been to convene meetings with leaders of the Authority and the Palestinian Security services. Haaretz confirmed that working visits lasting a full day indicate the extent of the strengthening relations between the two sides in its present form.

The newspaper added that sources within Israel’s General Security Services had declined to comment on Diskin’s visits to either Ramallah or Jenin, however, yesterday official Palestinian sources confirmed the fact that Diskin had visited Jenin.

Source: Sama News