Mossad head met with Jordan's King Abdullah, discussed annexation - report
Jordan opposes even partial annexation; Israeli intel says Hamas, Islamic Jihad are planning first-of-their-kind attacks.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERITHE MOSSAD’S current head, Yossi Cohen(photo credit: GALI TIBBON/REUTERS)
Mossad chief Yossi Cohen recently visited Jordan and met with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in order to pass a message along from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the expected annexation of the West Bank and Jordan Valley, Israel's Channel 13 reported, citing a senior Israeli official.Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has also spoken out about the planned annexation, which is intended to span over 30% of Judea and Samaria, during an interview with the Jordanian news show Al-Mamlakah.Safadi said that Jordan would not accept even a partial annexation, which includes cities such as Maale Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion, because it would cut the West Bank in half, effectively preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state in the region.Cohen reportedly was also recently in contact with the Egyptian Director of the General Intelligence Abbas Kamel about annexation. Kamel reportedly told Cohen that he had not reached an agreement with Hamas regarding its response to the annexation, Channel 13 said.Numerous Egyptian sources additionally told the pan-Arab media outlet The New Arab that Egypt warned Hamas about Israel and its intentions to annex the West Bank.In addition, Egyptian sources told the publication that Egypt and Israel came into contact, according to Channel 13, when Israel warned Egypt that it knows of Hamas and Islamic Jihad intentions to carry out actions which are the first of their kind in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.According to the report, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad additionally intend to attack Israel's economy as a response.A Hamas official also told the publication that as a response to the expected annexation, "whatever is within the schope of the Hamas military wing is a legitimate target."Palestinians are the first to defend their land," he continued. "No one will force them anything using threats or will prevent this right from them."
