Israel asks Abbas to call off Palestine elections

Middle East Monitor  /  March 20, 2021

Head of Israel’s Shin Bet Security Agency Nadav Argaman has secretly met with Palestinian Authority (PA), Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas and asked him to call off Palestinian elections, Israeli media reported on Friday.

According to a report broadcast by Israeli Channel 13, Argaman met with Abbas in Ramallah over the last two weeks, The Times of Israel revealed.

He urged Abbas to cancel the elections if the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas takes part, according to the Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, Anadolu Agency reported the Israeli TV channel claiming that Argaman warned Abbas about pushing forward an investigation into Israeli crimes at the International Criminal Court, Fatah’s plan to run on a joint list with Hamas for the parliamentary elections and forming a coalition government with Hamas.

 The Times of Israel reported Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reporting that Nadav Argaman was rebuffed by the PA chief.

Anadolu Agency quoted Israeli TV stating that a US official arrived secretly in Ramallah over the last two weeks and passed the same three warnings.