The Palestinian Authority (PA) cannot not stop security cooperation with Israel because it is dependent on it in many areas, Arabs48.com reported a senior Israeli official saying yesterday.
Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ze’ev Elkin said that the PA is dependent on Israel for their economic and security sectors, adding: “Security cooperation protects [PA President Mahmoud] Abbas more than Israel.”
About the PA’s threats that it would stop the security cooperation, Elkin said: “This is not new. For a year, they have been threatening to stop it, but this is something that no one can deny.”
“Therefore, this threat is hollow… when it becomes serious we will find many of the PA leaders retreat.”
Elkin has previously warned that the PA is on the brink of collapse, “for this reason, we should not give attention to the PA threats that it is to stop security cooperation.”
“The Palestinian economy is not independent as the West Bank and Gaza Strip are connected to Israel and I do not think that Abbas and Haniyeh can reach a united vision about it. So, I think threats of economic disengagement are also hollow.”