The chance that Palestinians in the West Bank launch another violent uprising against Israel is low, according to a recent assessment by the director of Israel's Shin Bet security service.
"The chance of a third intifada breaking out in the West Bank is low. Nevertheless, the chances for a popular civil revolt with mass demonstrations are higher," Yoram Cohen told a conference of Israeli ambassadors in Jerusalem last week, according to remarks published Sunday in the Yediot Aharonot daily.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants to reach a peace agreement with Israel on his own terms, and is already seeking to secure good will gestures from Israel -- including freeing Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and supplying his security forces with arms -- in order to strengthen his posture vis-a-vis Hamas, Cohen reportedly told envoys at a closed-door session held on the last day of the annual gathering.
The Shin Bet chief's assessment contradicts former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman who, in last year's conference, presented the envoys with his doctrine, according to which the Palestinian leader is not a partner for peace, Yediot Aharonot noted.
Tamir Pardo, head of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency, reportedly rejected an invitation to address the diplomats for fear that his remarks will be leaked to media, Yediot Aharonot said.
The Shin Bet chief also estimated as "low" the chances of a unity deal between Fatah, the moderate Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, and Hamas, the Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip. He said that Israel was cooperating with Egypt in preventing arms smuggling into the coastal enclave.
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