Israeli PM Naftali Bennett's aide dismisses prospects of peace with Palestinians

An official close to Israel’s newly minted Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Monday, 30 August 2021, downplayed a meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Defence Ministry Benny Gantz, dismissing reports of a possible pact with the Palestinians. “This is a meeting that deals with security issues. There is no diplomatic process with the Palestinians nor will there be,” the official said in a statement that was cited by the Times of Israel. The Zionists and Arabs have been trading barbs for centuries however conflict has escalated dramatically in recent times with recurring bloody wars over the contested city of Jerusalem.  

On Sunday, Gantz and Abbas held a rare meeting in the West Bank as protests on Israel’s southern border turned bloody. Apart from the exacerbating unrest, the leaders discussed issues like the security and economic situations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It is imperative to note that the governance of Palestine is sharply divided between Abbas’s Fatah party which controls authority in the occupied West Bank and Hamas group which yields power in the Gaza Strip.

The meeting was held on the same day as Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck Hamas militant targets in the besieged Gaza Strip hours after violent clashes broke out between Palestinian protesters and zionist law enforcers. In the wee hours of Sunday, the IDF conducted aerial strikes on Hamas military compound and one of the tunnel entrances used by the terror outfit. Further, in an online statement, the IDF also assured Israel residents that they will continue to defend them against Hamas’ violent tactics. 

Jerusalem: The Flashpoint 

The city of Jerusalem has been the bone of contention between the Arabs and the Jews for a century now. The old city of Jerusalem houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place for Islam. The same land is also revered as the holiest in Judaism as Temple Mount. Frequent flashpoints at the site have triggered not only a war of nerves but also ammunition between Palestinians and Israelis. Earlier in May, Israel and Gaza based Hamas engaged in an 11-day long war which lead to more than 200 fatalities. 

Image: AP