Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alonFlash 90

Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said in an interview with Saudi newspaper Ilaf that there is currently no chance of reaching a permanent peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

Ya'alon said the two sides should cooperate on security and economic issues, while working to increase the isolation and pressure on Hamas. He accused Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas of negligence in his leadership of the PA and of disappointing his supporters in the Arab world.

"Abbas is evading responsibility and disappointing those who are trying to help him like Egypt and Saudi Arabia," Ya'alon told the newspaper.

The former Defense Minister accused Iran of directing events in Lebanon to escalate tensions with Israel.

"There is no country like Lebanon," he said, "where the decisions are made by the Iranians, not by the president of the state or by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. If Iran wants war, then Lebanon will fight and its citizens will suffer."

Ya'alon denied reports in the Arabic and Iranian media that Israel was helping rebel groups in Syria, including radical groups. He said that the increased cooperation between Israel and the Sunni Arab states was a result of Israel and the neighboring Arab states having mutual interests.