WikiLeaks 2007 Special: Palestinian Authority Calls on Israel to Attack Hamas

In a June 2007 report, the head of Israel's internal intelligence service Shin Bet, Yuvak Diskin, had a meeting with US Ambassador Richard H. Jones. Diskin talked about the destructive yet balancing nature of the conflict between the Palestinian parties Fatah and Hamas, outlined Fatah's disadvantages  in that contest, and complained about Cairo.

And Diskin praised the Palestinian Authority's "full cooperation" with West Jerusalem, claiming that Fatah had demanded an Israeli attack upon Hamas.

While Diskin saw Hamas as the clear winner of the recent political battle and violent conflicts in the Gaza Strip, he still thought Fatah could significantly damage its rival.  But Diskin also saw problems. There was an internal fight within Fatah, led by its national Security advisor Muhammed Dahlan. Most of the Fatah-aligned security forces had been penetrated by Hamas. And Egypt had not been helpful: "They react on the intelligence that we provide to them, but they are not proactive," Diskin complained.

But Diskin continued, there was potential in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas:

The Preventive Security Organisation shares with [Israel[ almost all the intelligence that it collects. They understand that Israel's security is central to their survival in the struggle with Hamas in the West Bank.

Diskin claimed that a "desperate" Fatah Party had turned to Israel:

They are approaching a zero-sum situation, and yet they ask us to attack Hamas. This is a new development. We have never seen this before. They are desperate.

Yesterday, Fatah dismissed the WikiLeaks document and its claim as a Shin Bet “conspiracy”:

None of our members made such a request to the Israeli occupation forces because it contradicts our national values and principles. All of our positions are made public and we have no secrets. These are fabrications and lies that are part of a Shin Bet conspiracy.