Defense Minister Benny Gantz met on Sunday evening with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas to discuss security-policy, civilian and economic issues. The meeting was held with the knowledge and approval of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. A statement from the Defense Minister’s office said Gantz told Abbas that Israel seeks to take measures that will strengthen the PA’s economy. They also discussed shaping the security and economic situations in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza. They agreed to continue communicating further on the issues that were raised during the meeting. The meeting was also attended by the head of COGAT, Maj. Gen. Ghasan Alyan, PA Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, and Head of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, Majid Faraj. At the end of the professional discussion, Gantz and Abbas held a one-on-one meeting.
