'Those who think Israel-Turkey deal will have a significant impact on Hamas are mistaken'
Former National Security Advisor Amidror says deal has “huge potential” in terms of security gains for Israel, but that this is only in the long-term.
By BEN HARTMANUpdated: JUNE 28, 2016 01:26A gunman from the Izz ad-Din al- Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, photographed inside an underground tunnel in Gaza, in 2014.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Those who think the Israel- Turkey reconciliation will have a significant impact on Hamas are sorely mistaken about Turkey’s influence on the terrorist organization, former national security adviser Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror said Monday.“I’m very sorry, but Turkey doesn’t have the influence people think they have on Hamas. At the end of the day, the conflict in Gaza will be influenced by Hamas in Gaza,” Amidror said Monday, in a conference call with reporters.Amidror said the reconciliation will have no immediate influence on the chances of a conflict in the near future between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and that “this would be decided by Hamas in Gaza. I don’t see the Turks having a lot of influence on the military wing of Hamas.”He added that even the major civilian infrastructure projects that Turkey is planning in Gaza won’t be enough to sway Hamas decision- making, which at the end of day is influenced by their attitudes towards Israel and the military capabilities they have.Nonetheless, Amidror said he believes the deal has “huge potential” in terms of security gains for Israel, but that this is only in the long term, after both sides work on building trust with one another.He also said that he believes that the deal could have been reached five years earlier, and that the differences between the sides’ demands then and today are very minor.Amidror is a former head of research in military intelligence and was appointed national security adviser in 2011. He served in the post for two years and was involved in efforts at the time to repair ties between Jerusalem and Ankara.