Abbas to ask Biden to move US embassy to Tel Aviv – report
Going back on many of Trump's pro-Israel policies is reportedly part of the price for the PA resuming US-mediated talks with Israel.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFThen US Vice-President Joe Biden (L) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah March 9, 2016(photo credit: REUTERS/DEBBIE HILL/POOL)
Following President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US elections, the Palestinian Authority is reportedly planning on asking him to immediately move the US embassy back to Tel Aviv, i24 news reported Sunday, citing Israel Hayom.The reports cited a Palestinian Authority senior adviser named Nabil Shaath, who told the Hebrew-language newspaper that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been covertly communicating with the president-elect in an effort to go back on many of President Donald Trump's pro-Israel policies, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the embassy back to Tel Aviv.In return, Abbas would be willing to return to US-mediated peace talks with Israel.However, this would reportedly come with further caveats, Shaath explained to Israel Hayom. The US would need to reopen the PA's diplomatic mission in Washington and renew US aid to Ramallah and UNWRA. Furthermore, the talks would need to resume where they had left in 2016, when president Barack Obama was mediating.Though Abbas did send Biden a congratulatory message following the election results, he did so around 15 hours after the results were announced, long after most other world leaders sent messages.
