Israel: Knesset member calls for Abbas arrest

A member of Israel’s parliament has called for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to be arrested. Knesset member Haim Katz said that Abbas should be taken into custody after attacks by Palestinian security forces ahead of Israel’s General Election today.

Responding to a question from Ynet about the election and Israel’s security, Katz said that the security situation is “no different from the late President Yasser Arafat’s era.” This was a pointed reference to the participation of Palestinian security officers in recent attacks on Israeli soldiers in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

“Our forces are doing a great job, but they also need a comprehensive policy,” he pointed out. “The first step should be arresting Abu Mazen [Abbas] in the Muqata [PA headquarters in Ramallah], as the former Israeli President Ariel Sharon did with Arafat.”

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