US President Joe Biden appoints Thomas Nides as new ambassador to Israel
Thomas Nides appointed by Joe Biden United States Ambassador to Israel.
KAREN BLEIER AFP / File
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Thomas Nides is a fervent defender of aid allocated to the Palestinians.
Funding had been frozen under Donald Trump's previous administration.
Through this appointment, Washington therefore once again marks its break with the policy of the former tenant of the White House.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem
,
Sami Boukhelifa
"
He's a good person,
" says a diplomatic source in Jerusalem, who is happy to work with him.
But before that, the nomination of Thomas Nides must first be validated by the United States Senate where the Democrats have a narrow majority.
Once this step is taken, he will officially become the replacement for David Friedman, a staunch defender of the warmongering policy of the Hebrew state.
The choice of Thomas Nides as US Ambassador to Israel is not trivial.
It comes after the formation of a new Israeli government, without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
From Washington, Joe Biden's administration clearly wants to open a new page for Israeli-American relations.
Former banker and senior State Department official Thomas Nides had opposed attempts by Republicans in Congress to withdraw funding intended for
UNRWA, the UN agency
in charge of Palestinian refugees.
In his first months in power, President Joe Biden reversed this measure, pledging $ 235 million in aid to the Palestinians.
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To read also: Washington resumes its aid to the Palestinians, Israel displays its disagreement
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Israelo-Palestinian conflict
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