(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the phone, marking the first time the two have spoken in over a year.
Netanyahu phoned Abbas on Friday to wish him a happy Eid al-Fitr, Haaretz reported. Eid al-Fitr is the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
During the call, Netanyahu said Israel’s citizens want peace and Israel will continue to act to ensure stability in the region, according to a news release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Abbas said it was important to reach a peace deal in the coming year, Haaretz reported, citing a Palestinian news agency. The two leaders have not spoken directly since June 2014, when Abbas called Netanyahu to say he condemned the kidnapping of three Jewish teenagers in the West Bank.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
