Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday that there was “a virtual element” to the Annapolis conference. Israeli leaders acted as if they were dealing with a strong partner, he said, when in fact Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “has difficulty ruling his own mukata.” Hamas has threatened to take over Abbas’s mukata compound and the rest of Judea and Samaria, and senior Fatah officials have expressed concern that the group’s capabilities are growing.
In addition, Netanyahu said, Abbas has not backed down on any of his demands. Not only does he insist on a PA state in Judea and Samaria and control over the Old City of Jerusalem and Temple Mount, he continues to demand part of the Negev in order to connect Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.