Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen
Shin Bet Chief Yoram CohenFlash90

Yoram Cohen, Director of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), also known as Shin Bet, declared during a Knesset Committee hearing Tuesday that a third intifada is not likely in the event that peace talks fail. 

Cohen presented new findings regarding the upswing in terror in Judea and Samaria in 2013. The new findings come on the heels of a recent report illustrating how a recent rise in terrorist attacks is linked to the resumption of "peace talks"; however, Cohen claims that the real problem is internal issues within the Palestinian Authority (PA). 

The ISA Director reported to the committee that in the past year 1,700 terror attacks were recorded in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem - including shootings, Molotov cocktail attacks, stabbings, and rock attacks.160 attacks were reported in November, compared to 95 in December.

Cohen clarified that internal problems within the PA, especially economic instability, were a core factor in the upswing, and made a passing reference to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as "the chairman of the corruption authority." 

He also noted that 40 "price tag" attacks were carried out in 2013, and that three more had been stopped by the ISA in the past several days. According to Cohen, the attacks are not carried out by centralized organizations but are simply a series of isolated incidents. 

Cohen explained that the ISA has been having difficulties cracking those cases, and that while arrests have been made to gather intelligence, formal charges have not been brought.

The remark may be a reference to the highly publicized arrest of Yehuda Landsberg, a Samaria resident who was snatched from his home over 2 weeks ago and held by the ISA for without charge. Yehuda's wife Emunah released an open letter Tuesday begging the ISA for his release. 

Two other Jewish men from Samaria have been held similarly without access to a lawyer by Shabak on similar charges.

A recent Arutz Sheva expose revealed how in at least some cases, Arab provocateurs have been staging "price tag" vandalism to frame local Jews.