The meeting between Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and his Palestinian counterpart Shukri Bishara in Jerusalem on May 17 was friendly and warm. The two men met secretly, without announcing it in advance, and discussed a package of economic incentives for Palestinians that the Security Cabinet is slated to approve May 21, just before the arrival of US President Donald Trump to Israel on May 22.
Kahlon and Bishara's meeting was the direct continuation of talks in Brussels on May 4 between the US special envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, Israel's Minister for Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi and Bishara. Upon returning to Israel, Hanegbi relayed messages to Kahlon about the economic crisis facing the Palestinians. This led directly to the meeting between the two finance ministers.
