A senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official dismissed on Monday comments by Likud Minister Ze'ev Elkin, who said that the PA was headed towards a collapse.
Speaking to the Ma'ariv daily newspaper, Palestinian security forces spokesman Adnan Al-Damiri said that Israel's desire to see the PA collapse was identical to that of Hamas and accused the Jewish state of trying to create an internal Palestinian struggle.
“Israel and Hamas meet in their hopes of causing chaos and anarchy in the Palestinian Authority. The goal of Israel is the goal of Hamas,” Damiri said.
“Elkin spoke of his aspirations and hopes and not about the reality on the ground,” he continued, saying that Elkin “is forgetting that the occupation is the cause of all problems in the region. The Palestinians have reconciled with themselves in solving their problems, and they can solve their problems by themselves, provided Elkin and the occupation will be gone. We do not want them on our land.”
Damiri accused Israel and Hamas of trying to create anarchy in the PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria and said, “We are hearing the same tune from Hamas's leaders. Elkin and the leadership of the occupation led by Bibi Netanyahu are talking about hopes and desires to create anarchy, and they are on the same page on this with Hamas. The goal is clear, to create an internal Palestinian struggle in the West Bank.”
He then claimed that the statements by Israeli officials were an attempt to repel the attack waged by members of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and a diplomatic response to what he termed the “great success” of the Palestinians in the international arena.
“The occupation is interested in defending itself, and is doing everything possible to bring about the collapse of the PA, and then tell the world 'the problem is with the Palestinians, not us',” Damiri told Ma'ariv and added, “It will not be possible for neither [the Israelis] nor Hamas.”