Israeli and Palestinian Leaders Exchange Rare Handshake

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center left, talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, center right, as they wait to pose for a group photo as part of the COP21, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Le Bourget, outside Paris, Monday, Nov. 30, 2015. More than 150 world leaders are meeting under heightened security, for the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11), also known as "Paris 2015" from November 30 to December 11. (Martin Bureau/Pool Photo via AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center left, talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, center right, at the COP21 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Le Bourget, France, on Nov. 30, 2015.Martin Bureau—AP
By NBC News

Israel’s prime minister and the Palestinian president, in France for the climate summit, met and shook hands for the first time in years.

A photograph shows Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas shaking hands and smiling on the sidelines of global climate talks outside Paris on Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had agreed to meet or if they spoke.

U.S. mediated peace talks between the sides collapsed early 2014 and the two leaders haven’t met in years.

Their meeting came amid heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Over the past 2 months, almost daily Palestinian attacks have killed 19 Israelis while at…

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