US and Israel agree on ‘importance of strengthening’ the Palestinian Authority(puppet Abbas)

The United States and Israel agreed about the importance of strengthening the Palestinian Authority during meetings regarding the strategy to be used by the two countries held in Washington.

In a statement released yesterday, the State Department said: “The parties discussed the recent conflict in Gaza, and the importance of reaching a durable peace and an end to the cycle of conflict.”

Adding: “The two delegations also agreed on the urgent need for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to support the people of Gaza, and underscored the importance of strengthening the Palestinian Authority. The United States reiterated its concern about continued settlement activity in the West Bank.”

The United States and Israel held a new round of strategic dialogue at the headquarters of the State Department, headed by Israel’s Minister for Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Yuval Steinitz and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

The statement described the meetings of the strategic dialogue as “the highest level regularly-scheduled diplomatic meeting between the two countries, [which] highlights the strong partnership that binds Israel and the United States.”

“The two sides engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of developments in the region and reinforced their shared commitment to fight terrorism and to prevent threats to regional stability. The two sides agreed to continue to consult closely on regional issues,” the State Department statement said.

Israel’s recent assault on the Gaza Strip, which began on July 7 and lasted 51 days, has caused $7.5 billion worth of damage to the Strip, according to a statement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

A donor’s conference is expected to be held in Egypt on October 12 to raise money for the reconstruction of the Strip.