A very senior government official strongly criticized Defense Minister Benny Gantz following his meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Sunday.
"Ganz is looking after his political interests and has not switched gears in response to the new government. He is behaving like a government within a government," the senior was quoted as saying.
"If the meeting was for security purposes why did he issue a press release? It deviated from the early summaries that there would be no media circus around it. If the government falls it will be because of him," he was quoted as saying by Channel 12 News.
Gantz's office responded "It's just not true. The meeting was of security importance, it was coordinated and approved and was done in a low profile and as evidence - not even a picture came out of it."
Gantz met with PA chairman Abbas last night to discuss political, security, civilian and economic issues. Gantz told Abbas that Israel was ready to take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority's economy. One of the steps Gantz agreed to was a loan of half a billion shekels to the PA.
A source close to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: "The Gantz-Abu Mazen meeting was approved in advance by the prime minister. This is a meeting that deals with current issues of the security system with the Palestinian Authority. There is no political process with the Palestinians and neither will there be.