Avi Dichter
Avi DichterMiriam Alster/Flash 90

MK Avi Dichter (Likud), the former head of the Israel Security Agency (ISA, also known as the Shin Bet or Shabak) commented on proposals to create a port in Gaza, warning that "all those focused on a port in Gaza or any other ideas to make it a separate entity are repeating the same mistake from the Oslo Accords."

He continued, "The State of Israel cannot make the same fundamental mistake that it did in the Oslo Accords. The mistake was that we signed an agreement without clear continuous phases explaining what we would get and what we would give."

Dichter then compared the threat in creating a port to the threat posted by tunnels. "The urgency of giving a port to Hamas in Gaza is like the support for digging tunnels to transfer goods into Gaza. It may be that tunnels are even better because the goods in the tunnels can be checked at a better level than those in a port. Maybe it would be better for us to build them tunnels instead of a port."

During the talk, he commented on the fact that political leaders and others are pushing for interim measures to separate Gaza from the Palestinian Authority. "The Oslo Accords first began in Gaza and Jericho. Judea and Samaria only came afterwards, from understandings and improvisational attempts, because of which we are now paying a dear price. As far as I'm concerned, the State of Israel should not sign an agreement with two countries: Gaza and Judea-Samaria."