Report: Israeli Intelligence Chief Says Abbas Might Flee if Peace Talks With Israel Fail....

Taking with him truckloads of our money, and leaving behind tons of our weapons for Hamas.....

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's chief of military intelligence said in comments published Friday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may flee the area if peace efforts fail.

Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Haaretz daily that he is not optimistic about Israeli-Palestinian attempts to reach a final peace deal by the end of the year.

Yadlin predicted that such a failure of the U.S.-backed efforts would severely weaken Abbas and force him to leave the West Bank.

If there is a sharp confrontation, with accusations hurled, I think the Palestinian Authority leadership will be very much weakened, so much so that very senior officials will leave, Yadlin told the newspaper.

When asked if that means Abbas could flee the Palestinian areas, Yadlin replied I do not rule out that possibility. Yadlin said he doubted the failure of the efforts would result in further Israeli-Palestinian violence. But such a scenario would create a chaotic environment in the West Bank that could lead to the seizure of the territory by Hamas, he said. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip after taking over in violent fighting with Abbas-allied forces in June last year.

ZIP