Palestinians Turn ‘Fresh Page’ With New President

After four years of turmoil and frustration, Palestinian officials are not biding their time waiting for Jan. 20, 2021, to begin their efforts in influencing the incoming White House administration. Mahmoud Aloul, vice chairman of Fatah – the party in control of the Palestinian Authority – revealed Monday that leaders in the West Bank have already reached out to President-elect Joe Biden’s people and have “reached a series of understandings regarding a number of the outgoing president’s decisions.” According to a report in the daily Haaretz, while officials in Ramallah expressed satisfaction with Biden’s nominee as secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the PA is still concerned with any last-gasp maneuvers President Donald Trump could make, referring to him as a “wounded animal.” PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki called Biden’s election a “window of opportunity” for a fresh start with the United States. On Monday, President-elect Biden spoke on the phone with Jordanian King Abdullah, his first conversation with an Arab leader since being elected. The two reportedly spoke, among other things, about the importance of the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.