The chief of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency on Tuesday downplayed predictions that stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would lead to an escalation of terrorism against Israeli civilians.

“The amount of terror attacks is also a result of internal problems in the Palestinian street,” Cohen said in the meeting, which was closed to press. The Shin Bet chief reported an uptick in attacks in the West Bank, coming mostly from individuals as opposed to terrorist organizations. Cohen listed economic problems and the Palestinians’ lack of trust in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as reasons for the attacks.

Yoram Cohen’s statements came amid an uptick in Palestinian violence, and some diplomats and analysts have suggested that a third Intifada may break out should negotiations completely collapse. His testimony rejecting such assessments aligns with Israeli analysis linking the surge in attacks to internal Palestinian political dynamics. Palestinian negotiators have repeatedly rejected security concerns raised by Jerusalem – most prominently Israel’s demand, backed by Jordan, that it maintain forces along the Jordanian border to prevent terrorist infiltrations – and talks over securing a final peace agreement have concomitantly slowed despite a series of Israel confidence building measures.

[Photo: infolivetvspanish / YouTube]