SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday he had met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to strengthen economic and security ties.
Gantz said in a tweet that they emphasized the importance of deepening security coordination during the meeting.
“We discussed the implementation of economic and civilian measures, and emphasized the importance of deepening security coordination and preventing terror and violence – for the well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians,” he said.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that the meeting was held late on Tuesday at Gantz’s home in Israel, according to Reuters.
It was the second meeting between Gantz and Abbas. They met in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah in August.
The two discussed the “importance of creating of a political horizon,” for the solution of the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Reuters cited Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh as saying.
The last round of peace talks collapsed in 2014, according to Reuters.
Their talks mark the highest-level public meetings between Abbas and an Israeli minister since Israel’s new government was formed in June.
