Israeli, Palestinian Finance Ministers Meet Israeli and Palestinian finance ministers have agreed on a series of economic cooperation projects. Sunday's meeting between Israel's Yair Lapid and the Palestinians' Shukri Bashara marked the first high-profile meeting between officials since the new Israeli government took office in March. Lapid said cooperation would include joint investments and trade between the sides. He said it would benefit both and vowed to "continue to strengthen the connection and promote important economic issues that are important to both sides." Lapid leads the centrist Yesh Atid Party. He has conditioned the party's membership in the governing coalition on a viable effort to restart peace talks with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians cooperate economically on a number of fronts. Israel, for instance, collects some tax and customs money for the Palestinians.