Israel's withdrawal from occupied territories would only create new security problems, an Israeli political analyst said on Monday.

Yaacov Amidror, a retired general, former officer in Israeli Intelligence and currently a leading research associate at a number of Israeli think tanks, dismissed as "naive" the view that the status of the Arab-Israeli conflict was critical for regional stability.

"Do you really think that if this conflict is resolved, al Qaeda will cease to exist?" he said rhetorically, addressing an international Middle East conference in Jordan.

He was speaking at an international conference called "Middle East 2020: Is a Comprehensive Settlement Possible?"

Amidror said Israeli presence in Palestinian territories was a factor of stability and a security guarantee, which benefits not only the Israelis but also the Palestinians themselves.

"If we leave the West Bank... it will end up under Hamas' control, and the world will not become more secure as a result," he said.

SUWEIMA (Jordan), December 21 (RIA Novosti)