Joe Biden multiplies the messages to reconnect with the Palestinians.

The United States announced, Wednesday, April 7, the resumption of its aid to the latter, interrupted under the presidency of Donald Trump, in particular by restoring funding to UNRWA, a UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

In total, this aid will reach 235 million dollars, or nearly 200 million euros.

“American aid to the Palestinian people serves the interests and values ​​of the United States. It provides crucial assistance to those in need, promotes economic development, and supports Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, security coordination and peace. stability, "Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In detail, the plan provides for the release of a fund of around 150 million dollars through UNRWA, the UN agency, 75 million dollars in economic and development assistance and 10 million dollars for programs of peace, said Antony Blinken.

Relationships that had been frozen since 2017

Advisors to Joe Biden have also signaled that they want to re-establish as a priority the goal of a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Relations between Washington and the Palestinian Authority have been practically frozen since Donald Trump's announcement in 2017 of his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The United States then decided to reduce its contribution to UNRWA.

Ahmed Abou Houly, a member of the executive committee of the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine (PLO), said on Wednesday that he would meet by videoconference with a representative of the US State Department to express his gratitude for this " very important support, ”adding that he hoped this would continue.

Israel "disappointed"

For his part, the Israeli ambassador to the United States expressed his "disappointment" after this announcement from Washington. 

"I expressed my disappointment and my disagreement with the decision to resume funding for UNRWA without first ensuring that certain reforms are carried out, notably aimed at putting an end to incitement (to anti-Semitism) and to remove anti-Semitic content from school curricula, "Gilad Erdan said in a statement.

With AFP and Reuters

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