Israel warms to Palestinian Authority
First high-level meeting in 7 years, $150M loan mark diplomatic shift
JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister Monday announced a series of gestures aimed at strengthening the Palestinian Authority, including plans to loan $150 million to the cash-strapped autonomy government in the occupied West Bank.
The announcement came a day after Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the first high-level meeting between the two sides in years.
The stepped-up contacts and Israeli gestures mark a shift in direction after the breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years. Israel’s new government has announced it is interested in bolstering Abbas in his rivalry against Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group.
“The stronger the Palestinian Authority is, the weaker Hamas will be,” Gantz was quoted as telling Israeli military correspondents Monday. “And the greater its ability to govern is, the more security we’ll have and the less we’ll have to do.”
The Israeli moves come two days after President Joe Biden during a White House meeting urged Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, to take steps toward improving the lives of Palestinians.
Gantz’s office disclosed he told Abbas that Israel will take measures to strengthen the Palestinian economy. It said they also discussed security issues and agreed to remain in touch. It was believed to be the highest-level public meeting between the sides since 2014.
Later on Monday, Gantz’s office confirmed that Israel had agreed to loan the Palestinian Authority $155 million. The money is to be repaid with taxes that Israel normally collects for the Palestinians.
Israel will also authorize work permits for an additional 15,000 Palestinian laborers and resolve the residency status for a number of people living in the occupied West Bank. These include Palestinians originally from Gaza and foreign spouses of local Palestinians.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official who oversees relations with Israel, said an initial deal had been reached to resolve the status of some 5,000 families. He said it was “a first batch in the road to finalizing this file entirely.”
Bennett is a hard-liner who opposes Palestinian independence, as do key partners in his diverse ruling coalition. He has said he supports building up the Palestinian economy and expanding autonomy for Palestinians.
He also is interested in weakening Hamas in the wake of an 11-day battle in May.
Egyptian-led attempts at brokering a long-term cease-fire have foundered in recent weeks. Hamas has staged a series of violent demonstrations along the Israeli border in hopes of pressuring Israel into easing an economic blockade of the territory.
While Biden supports a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, his administration is focused on interim confidence-building measures.