Report: Palestinian Authority President Refused Call With Blinken

Mahmoud Abbas requested a call with President Biden, which so far has not taken place

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refused to accept a phone call from Secretary of State Antony Blinken in February, according to a report from Israel’s Kan broadcaster. The report said Abbas requested to speak directly with President Biden.

So far, an Abbas-Biden call has not happened. Meanwhile, President Biden has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice since he was elected. The two leaders spoke in a congratulatory call after Biden’s November victory and once again in February.

The Kan report said US officials have been planning a call between Blinken and PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh or Hussein al-Sheikh, another senior PA official.

While Biden hasn’t called Abbas, the Biden administration is restoring US aid to the Palestinians that was cut by the Trump administration. The Hill reported on Thursday that the US Agency for International Development and the State Department had sent notification to Congress of their intent to deliver $125 million in assistance to the Palestinians.

Published at news.antiwar.com