Defense Minister Benny Gantz told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting in August that he believes in the two-state solution and wants to be the new [Yitzchak] Rabin, Channel 12 News reported on Friday.

Gantz held a meeting with Abbas in August, a move slammed by some members of the coalition. There were also differing accounts about whether Prime Minister Naftali Bennett approved of the meeting or was even aware of it beforehand. The meeting was the first high-level in-person meeting between the PA and Israel in over 10 years.

According to the report, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh revealed details of the meeting between Abbas and Gantz in a recent press conference with Arab-Israeli activists and journalists.

“I believe in the two-state solution and believe it is the appropriate solution,” Gantz told Abba, according to Shtayyeh.

“I want to be the new [Yitzhak] Rabin but this government has limits,” he added, referring to the right-wing members of the coalition, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the other members of Yamina and the New Hope party, who are opposed to a two-state solution.

Gantz’s office stated in response to the report that the quotes from the meeting were “inaccurate” but did not provide further clarification.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)