PA president met with Israel Shin Bet chief

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with the head of Israeli security service Shin Bet in occupied Ramallah over the past few days.

The officials discussed security coordination and efforts to reach an agreement on the Gaza Strip, Haaretz reported.Israel fears an economic collapse in the occupied West Bank may lead to security ramifications. As a result, the Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, has been meeting with senior intelligence and security officials in Egypt and Jordan.

Reports yesterday claimed Israel’s regional cooperation minister will ask donor countries to restore financial support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in an effort to bolster it.

Last week, the World Bank said that donations to the PA have dropped by 95 per cent over the past 13 years. The international community donated $1.2 billion to the PA in 2008, while donations are only expected to reach $184 million this year.

The UN and World Bank have warned that the PA is facing an acute financial crisis. The situation is such that it could be unable to pay its employees’ salaries by the end of this year.

READ: Abbas presides over symbolic gestures