Abbas said to refuse call from Blinken, wants first to hear from Biden
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly refused to accept a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken a month and a half ago, demanding that the new administration’s first call come directly from the President’s Office.
However, more than two months into the new presidency, a call between US President Joe Biden and Abbas has not taken place.
According to Israeli Kan public broadcaster, upon rejecting Blinken’s call in February, Abbas noted that a secretary of state being the first in a new administration to call a foreign leader is against traditional protocol.
US officials have started planning a possible phone call between Blinken and PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh or senior PA official Hussein al-Sheikh, according to the report on Thursday.
Despite the lack of direct communications between the leaders, the new US administration would be giving $75 million in economic aid to the Palestinians in part to regain their “trust and goodwill” after the hundreds of millions of Trump-era cuts.
A day before that Congressional notification, the Biden administration announced that it would be sending $15 million in coronavirus-related aid to struggling Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza.
The US new administration also gave hundreds of millions a year in funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency(UNRWA), which is in charge of administering the daily needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.
The Biden administration has stated that it plans to restart funding to UNWRA as well, after Trump cut the aids.
“This urgent, necessary aid is one piece of our renewed commitment to the Palestinian people,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield when she announced the $15 million package last week.
“The aid will help Palestinians in dire need, which will bring more stability and security to both Israelis and Palestinians alike.
“That’s consistent with our interests and our values, and it aligns with our efforts to stamp out the pandemic and food insecurity worldwide.”
