Nitzan Horowitz; the health minister of the Israeli occupation, Esawi Freige; the minister of the regional cooperation; Michal Rozin; member of the Knesset; and the chief of the Meretz were set to meet the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday night in Ramallah.

During the meeting, Abbas called for ending the Israeli occupation to reach a state of fair peace, based on international laws. He also confirmed the significance of ending the colonial settlement, the policy of house demolition in Al-Quds and the West Bank, and the arbitrary measures that are being practiced against the Palestinian prisoners. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of solving the issue of the martyrs' bodies detained by the Israeli occupation.

On the other side, members of Meretz highlighted the significance of the two-state solution, the end of the Israeli occupation, and the cooperation with the Palestinian Authority in the health field.

Abbas showed great readiness to negotiate some of the prominent Palestinian issues. Mainly, the salaries of the prisoners and martyrs' families, and the media message that does not match with the Israeli perspective.

He also directed an open invitation for all the ministers of the Israeli occupation's government to visit Ramallah; notably Yair Lapid, the foreign minister of the Israeli occupation, and Ayelet Shaked, the right-wing minister of interior, who gave a sharp response, rejecting Abbas' invitation.

The Israeli reactions to this invitation contradicted. Merav Michaeli, leader of the Israeli Labor Party, commented that the Palestinian issue needs a radical solution. Hence, Gideon Saar and Yoav Galant, leaders of the right-wing parties, rejected the meeting and described Abbas as an 'enemy to Israel.'

 

Insight and Analysis

• Abbas' meeting with Meretz' leaders is the second with Israeli officials after he had lately met Benny Gants, the defense minister of the Israeli occupation.
• Abbas' continuous meetings with leaders of the Israeli occupation receive a state of popular rejection and disapproval, especially amid the ongoing arbitrary practices of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, Al-Quds, and Gaza.
• Abbas' last meeting revealed the extremist perspectives and attitudes of most of the Israeli occupation's leaders who opposed the meeting and the representatives of Meretz, and showed rejection for solving the Palestinian issue and the two-state solution.
• Through those meetings, Abbas seeks to restore his popularity and his chance to continue his governance, especially amid beliefs' that Abbas' role has ended, cancellation of the legislative elections, and the growing public courage following the assassination of the political activist Nezar Banat.
• Abbas holds those meetings to prepare for meeting PM Neftali Bennett, who has been rejecting to meet Abbas or any leader from the Palestinian Authority since he took office.

Possible Scenarios

Based on the above-mentioned, it is expected that:

• Those meetings would help Abbas restore his falling popularity. What supports this scenario is the US' support of bringing the Palestinians and the Israeli occupation to a negotiating table, and Abbas' absolute readiness to acquire the occupation's satisfaction in order to stay on the top of authority in the West Bank.
• Those meetings would fail to affect the relationship between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli occupation. This scenario is supported by the severe state of contradiction between the Israeli occupation and the tyranny of the extremist right-wing thoughts in dealing with the Palestinians over the occupation's government's strategy.

Generally, all scenarios are possible. Hence, the relationship between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli occupation is more likely to stay as it is, especially amid the occupation's desire to keep manipulating in order not to reach any solutions with the Palestinian. They would also maintain the necessary limits with the Palestinian Authority, serving the Israeli security and political interests.