Israel plans to ask the United States to offer assistance to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and help him contend with any threats to his rule.
According to government sources, Israel will tell the U.S. administration that the main threat to Abbas' leadership comes from Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. "Anyone who wants Abu Mazen [Abbas] to succeed must increase the pressure on them," one source said over the weekend. Officials added that Hezbollah's attacks in the Har Dov region last week were provocations aimed at disrupting the recent Israeli-Palestinian thaw. Israel will, however, oppose any attempt to view the initial steps against terror taken by Abbas last week as fulfillment of the PA's obligations under the first stage of the road map peace plan and as justification for skipping straight to final-status negotiations, sources said. They expressed fears that the PA will arrive at an international conference in London on March 1, which was called to strengthen Abbas' government, and declare that it has fulfilled its first-stage road map obligations, leaving the ball in Israel's court. |