Former Mossad head: 'major mistake' not to recognise 2006 Palestinian elections

Former head of Mossad Efraim Halevy has called Israel’s refusal to recognise the results of the 2006 Palestinian elections, in which Hamas emerged victorious, a “major mistake.”

Halevy made the remarks on Thursday, but they were first published by Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz on Sunday.

Addressing the 2006 poll for the Palestinian Legislative Council, Halevy – who served for decades in various positions within Mossad and as director from 1998-2002 – stated that “[Israel] should have recognised the democratically achieved result in the election, which we did not do.”

This was a “major mistake”, according to Halevy, because it resulted in the Palestinian political arena becoming “a failed system.” Halevy additionally urged Israel to end its opposition to a Palestinian government “in which Hamas participates”, a policy he also described as a “mistake.”