The Takeaway: US-Palestinian ties get upgrade ahead of Netanyahu’s return
Plus, US diplomats are evacuated from Syria and prospects sink for a revived Iranian nuclear deal.
With Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu set to preside over Israel’s most right-wing government in its history, the Biden administration has opened a new channel for engaging with the Palestinians as America's de facto embassy to them remains closed for the foreseeable future.
Hady Amr, previously the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, has been named to the newly created post of US Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs. In a call with reporters on Wednesday, Amr described the Washington-based role as one that “bolsters our ability to manage challenges in the Israeli Palestinian relationship.”
