Prime Minister avoided cabinet vote
Prime Minister avoided cabinet voteFlash 90

According to reports, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met last week with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting was said to have taken place in Amman. The report, in the Jordanian daily Al'ad, quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the meeting occurred several days before the latest cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas came into effect Tuesday.

The Prime Minister's Office has not commented on the story.

The report did not specify what the two spoke about, but did say that Abbas was expected to be an important factor in the upcoming indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The PA is expected to be given control of passages into and out of Gaza, either with Israeli or other third-party assistance. The PA will be in charge, according to the report, of ensuring that only approved items are allowed to enter Gaza.

In addition, the report said, the PA will be leading an international fund-raising campaign which will be aimed at raising funds for reconstruction in Gaza. A deal between Israel and Hamas, if it comes to fruition, will require that international supervision be implemented to ensure that Hamas does not use the cash for terror purposes.

At a press conference Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked if he believed Abbas was a “partner for peace.” In response, Netanyahu said that Abbas “needed to choose the side he is on.”