JERUSALEM, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made a rare visit to Israel for talks on economic and security issues with Israel’s defence chief, but with few prospects for any resumption of long-stalled peace negotiations. Defence Minister Benny Gantz hosted Abbas in his home late on Tuesday, the Western-backed Palestinian leader’s first such visit to Israel in more than a decade. Palestinians seek to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinian rivalries remain strong, with Hamas Islamists, who have fought four wars with Israel, running the Gaza Strip. The meeting followed several Palestinian attacks on Israelis in recent weeks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
