Ofir Akunis
Ofir AkunisPR Photo / Shay Hayak

The world, which rejoiced when Fatah and Hamas joined to create a unity government – the unity government that, said MK Ofir Akunis, paved the way to the kidnapping of three Israeli teens by Hamas terrorists – must now apologize for supporting that government. “We stressed more than once that the establishment of the unity government would lead to an increase in terror. It's true that there were kidnapping attempts and terror attacks before as well, but the establishment of this government gave a full green light to the terrorists to act,” Akunis told Arutz Sheva in an interview.

One of the arguments of those supporting the Fatah-Hamas deal was the claim that it would put Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in charge of not only PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, but of Gaza as well, seven years after Hamas booted his Fatah terror organization out of the Strip. If that is the case, Akunis said, “those who were overjoyed by the unity government must admit that it is Abbas who is responsible for this kidnapping. His government is not just one of 'technocrats,' as supporters claim, but of terrorists, which he actively leads.”

But that has not been the case, Akunis said. “Here is a situation that Abbas, who is supposed to be in charge, can step up and deal with, but as is typical among the Palestinians, as soon as responsibility needs to be taken, they run away from it.” Israel was doing everything it could to find the kidnapped youths, he said, and could not expect the PA – neither Fatah or Hamas – to do anything to help.

The government, he said, had numerous strategies for dealing with the PA, and a number of them have been discussed in cabinet meetings, he said. Some of the ideas include cutting off electricity and water to Gaza and PA-controlled areas.

Akunis also pointed out the contrast between Israel and the Palestinians – how they kidnap teenagers, while Israel offers medical care to the wife of PA chief Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media reports Sunday said that the Abbas' was convalescing in a top Tel Aviv hospital after undergoing foot surgery. The report by Yediot Aharonot said that Abbas' wife was being held under heavy security in a private room, with no roommates. “The entire world should look at this and internalize how we help a sick woman," Akunis stated. "Abbas is no idiot,” he added. “He sees our humanity versus Hamas' inhumanity, and he will make the necessary conclusions.”

News of the hospitalization comes as Israeli forces deseperately conducted an intensive search for three missing Israeli teens, Eyal Yifrah (19), Naftali Frenkel (16) and Gilad Sha'ar (16). In a statement Saturday night, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that the ultimate responsibility for the return of the boys lay with Abbas.