Israeli PM plays down defence chief's talks with Palestinians

JERUSALEM • Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has sought to play down any notion of a move towards renewed peace negotiations with the Palestinians after the highest-level Israeli-Palestinian meeting in years.

Just hours after Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday, the main Israeli media outlets quoted "a source close to the Prime Minister" as saying: "There is no diplomatic process with the Palestinians, nor will there be one."

The session, which was not announced in advance, covered only "routine issues", according to the source.

Mr Hussein Al Sheikh, a member of Mr Abbas' Fatah Central Committee, said the talks included "all aspects" of Palestinian-Israeli relations.

Mr Gantz, who heads a centrist party, and Mr Abbas met two days after Mr Bennett, a far-right politician who opposes Palestinian statehood, visited Washington for talks with United States President Joe Biden, who backs the idea.

A White House statement said Mr Biden reiterated to Mr Bennett his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and "underscored the importance of steps to improve the lives of Palestinians".

Mr Bennett did not mention Palestinians in public remarks at the White House that focused largely on arch-enemy Iran's nuclear programme.

REUTERS