Abbas has ‘hugged a snake’ in reconciling with Hamas

A senior security advisor to the Israeli government has said there is now “no partner for peace” after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas decided to “hug a snake” by reconciling with Islamist  group Hamas.

Uzi Dayan, a former head of Israel’s national security council and a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Abbas had never been a partner for a full agreement and that he “would pay” for his latest move.

Dayan, who was in London this week with Israeli charity MDA, was speaking after hardliner Reuven Rivlin was elected Israeli president and after Abbas ended seven years of infighting with rival Palestinian faction Hamas.

He said: “There is an Arab proverb that you don’t hug a snake. Abbas hugged a snake. He joined with terrorists. And he’s going to pay for it, because they will insist on having elections. Hamas will now go to the West Bank and be active. If the Palestinians have an election for the office of Abbas, Hamas will win.”

He added: “Abbas was never a partner for a full and final agreement, but you could work with him on security matters. Now he’s not even a partner for something partial.”

Dayan’s hawkish stance appears to reflect the political views of Rivlin, who opposes a Palestinian state and supports the building of Jewish settlements on the West Bank.