Abbas Confirms He Halted Security Contacts with Israel

mahmoud abbas
Majdi Mohammed/AP

The Times of Israel reports: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed on Monday his decision to halt security coordination with Israel in protest of the installation of metal detectors at entrances to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, describing the decision as difficult and warning that it would be Israelis who would suffer from the measure.

Abbas indicated that should Israel want security coordination to return, it would have to reverse the recent security measures taken at the Temple Mount and halt all military incursions into Palestinian cities. “If we are patient, we will certainly get what we want: we will stop the installation of these metal detectors, stop these measures, and stop the incursions by the Israeli government in all cities of the West Bank,” Abbas said, according to a report in the official PA news site Wafa.

Last Sunday, Israel placed metal detectors at gates to the Temple Mount in response to a shooting attack by three Arab Israelis who killed two Israeli policemen just outside the compound on July 14 using guns they had smuggled into the holy site. Israel placed new security cameras at entrances to the compound on Sunday, but left the detectors in place.

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