Israel boosts Palestinian Authority

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister on 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 complete breakdown of communication between Abbas and Israeli leaders in recent years.

Israel’s new government has said 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 U.S. President Joe Biden urged Israel’s new prime minister to take steps toward improving the lives of Palestinians.

Gantz’s office said he told Abbas that Israel will take new measures to strengthen the Palestinian economy. It said they also discussed security issues. The loan is to be repaid with tax funds 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 West Bank.