Labor MK Danny Yatom, a former Mossad chief, does not agree with Shimon Peres regarding the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Arafat. Peres says that despite the past several years of terrorism, Arafat still deserves the prize, as it was Arafat who led the way towards an Arab recognition of Israel. Yatom takes a different approach. "If it were possible," he told Arutz-7 today, "we should nullify and withdraw the prize awarded to Arafat... We now know things that we did not know in 1993: Arafat did not abandon terrorism, nor is he a full partner in a peace process with Israel."
Asked if he thought Arafat planned from the very beginning to deceive Israel, Yatom said no: "I could be mistaken, but I don't think so. I think he planned to reach an agreement with Israel - but only on his terms, which included all of eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the 'right of return' for Arab refugees, etc. But Israel has red lines, and they are no less red today, and we simply must not cross them."
Asked if he thought Arafat planned from the very beginning to deceive Israel, Yatom said no: "I could be mistaken, but I don't think so. I think he planned to reach an agreement with Israel - but only on his terms, which included all of eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the 'right of return' for Arab refugees, etc. But Israel has red lines, and they are no less red today, and we simply must not cross them."