IDF intelligence chief: Old Guard will succeed Arafat

Senior Palestinian leaders will take over the Palestinian Authority after Yasser Arafat's death, Israel Defense Forces intelligence chief Major General Aharon Ze'evi said on Tuesday.

Speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ze'evi said the senior echelon, which includes Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas, will be pressured to transform Israel's unilateral disengagement plan into a bilateral agreement.

Under the plan, Israel will evacuate all settlements from the Gaza Strip, along with four isolated settlements from the northern West Bank.

The IDF intelligence chief stressed that while Arafat's departure could engender opportunities for positive changes, it could also limit Israel's political and military field of maneuver.

Ze'evi also added that a post-Arafat era could potentially bring an end the current round of violence between Israel and Palestinians.

Yahad MK Ran Cohen said during the committee's meeting that the stability of the Palestinian leadership amid the uncertainty over Arafat's health situation obliged Israel to carry out the disengagement plan in coordination with the Palestinian leadership.

Such a move would assure the success of the pullout plan and help the new Palestinian leadership establish itself, Cohen said.

MK Yossi Sarid (Yahad) said no changes were expected to take place in the Palestinian Authority since any heir to Arafat would prefer unity among Palestinian ranks over conciliatory gestures towards Israel.

	The IDF's intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Ze'evi, said the new Palestinian leadership will be pressured to transform Israel's unilateral disengagement plan into a bilateral agreement. (Archive)