Middle East Monitor / January 18, 2021
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with the heads of Egyptian and Jordanian intelligence in Ramallah yesterday afternoon. The head of the PA Intelligence Services, Majed Faraj, also attended the meeting two days after Abbas announced that elections are to be held for the Palestinian presidency, parliament and National Council.
According to Wafa news agency, the visit of the two intelligence chiefs was in the context of ongoing coordination between the Palestinians and their Arab neighbours in preparation for engagement with the Biden administration.
“We have decided to resume our contacts with Washington,” explained a PA official. “We are optimistic about the new US administration. We are in full coordination with our Arab brothers.”
The Palestinians suffered numerous setbacks under the outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump and have complained about his pro-Israel position. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the unified capital of Israel and move of the US Embassy to the city were both against international law. Moreover, his controversial Middle East “peace plan” gave Israel the green light to annex swathes of the occupied West Bank, including its illegal settlements.
While in Ramallah, the Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, delivered a message from President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi affirming the country’s unchangeable stance on the need to reach a just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
