This is a first for many years. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met Tuesday (December 28) in Israel, according to local media.
“I met tonight [mardi] the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. We discussed the implementation of economic and civil measures, and the importance of strengthening our security coordination (…) “, Mr. Gantz confirmed on Twitter. On the Palestinian side, the Minister of Civil Affairs, Hussein al-Sheikh, a close friend of Mahmoud Abbas, indicated on Twitter that this meeting had focused on issues “Security, economic and humanitarian” and on “The importance of creating a political horizon” to find a “Solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Israeli Minister of Defense and the Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs did not specify the location of the meeting, however, according to the Israeli press, at the residence of Mr. Gantz located in Rosh Haayin, in central Israel.
Following the coming to power in June of the coalition government led by Naftali Bennett, Israeli ministers, including Benny Gantz, visited Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority. But it would be the first time since 2010 that Abbas has visited Israel for an official meeting with a member of the Israeli government.
Likud and Hamas denounce this meeting
The Likud party (right) of the leader of the opposition, Benyamin Netanyahu, prime minister from 2009 to last June and virulent critic of the Palestinian president, condemned in a statement this meeting Abbas-Gantz which led according to him to “Concessions dangerous for the security of Israel”. The government of Naftali Bennett, moreover supported by an Arab party, a first in the history of Israel, “Put the Palestinians and Abbas back on the agenda and this is dangerous for Israel”, added the right-wing party.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, ruling in the Israeli blockaded Gaza Strip, also condemned the meeting, saying it was deviating “Of the national spirit of our Palestinian people”. “This behavior of the leadership of the Palestinian Authority aggravates the Palestinian political division, complicates the Palestinian situation, encourages some in the region who want to normalize with the occupier and weakens the Palestinian position which rejects normalization” with Israel, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
The Abbas-Gantz meeting comes less than a week after the visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan who had discussed with Mahmoud Abbas about “The resumption of a significant level of economic and development aid” from the United States.
Current Israeli government says it wants to discuss ways “To improve” the standard of living of the Palestinians, without however seeking to embark on a new round of talks. Peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians have stalled since 2014. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a former leader of the procolonies movement in the West Bank, opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.
