Ahmed Majdalani, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) “minister of social development” and a member of the PLO executive committee, revealed on Tuesday that there are ongoing channels of communication between the PA leadership and US President Joe Biden’s team.
Speaking to the PA-based Ma’an news agency, Majdalani said that the US administration had sent important messages to the PA leadership, including clarifying its support for the two-state solution, opening a PLO office in Washington and renewing aid to UNRWA and its opposition to the Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century”.
At the same time, Majdalani noted that the Palestinian Authority leadership has not yet received an official message from Washington, though it is under the impression that the US administration supports international sponsorship of the peace process that will include the United Nations, Russia and the European Union.
Majdalani added that the PA leadership intends to discuss with the Biden administration the annexation of Jerusalem, the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the “settlements”, the refugees and to find out whether the reopening of the US Consulate in eastern Jerusalem will be considered American recognition of eastern Jerusalem as the capital of the “state of Palestine”.