Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said, Monday, that the hunger strike by security prisoners is another step in arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti's campaign to position himself as successor to Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. In a New York Times op-ed piece, Erdan says, "The political nature of the strike is a main reason the leaders of Fatah’s rival, Hamas, have not backed the strike."
Erdan wrote further, "Israel will not give in to extortion. The conditions and regulations in Israel’s prison system are determined according to Israeli law and international standards, not by pressure tactics. Surrendering to such a strike would constitute a surrender to terrorism and would only embolden terrorist groups, weaken our deterrence and lead to further conflict and bloodshed."