Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was invited by Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz for a rare meeting to discuss security coordination and preventing ongoing violence and acts of terrorism. Following the meeting, Gantz’s office said he approved “confidence-building measures” including the transfer of tax payments to the Palestinian Authority, the authorization of hundreds of permits for Palestinian merchants and VIPs, and approving residency status for thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. “We discussed the implementation of economic and civilian measures, and emphasized the importance of deepening security coordination and preventing terror and violence—for the well-being of both Israelis and Palestinians,” Gantz said in a statement on social media. Abbas met with Gantz at his private residence in a Tel Aviv suburb on Tuesday. The meeting marked the first time the Palestinian leader held talks with a senior Israeli official on Israeli territory in over a decade. The …