Israeli and Palestinian leaders converse by cellphone for the primary time in years

Israeli and Palestinian leaders speak by phone for the first time in years

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A short statement from Lapid’s office said the two men “spoke about the continuation of cooperation and the need to ensure quiet and calm.”

Abbas had congratulated Lapid on becoming Prime Minister, the statement said, while Lapid passed along his best wishes to the Palestinian leader ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday which begins Friday.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported the phone conversation, adding that President Abbas had expressed his wish that “peace and stability would prevail in the region as soon as possible.”

Lapid’s predecessor, right-winger Naftali Bennett, chose not to speak with Abbas during his 12-month premiership, while long-time leader Benjamin Netanyahu oversaw a degradation of Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority, and it is reported he last spoke to the Palestinian leader in 2017.

Underscoring the current Israeli government’s changed approach, Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Abbas at his Ramallah office Thursday evening. …

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