Joe Biden is allocating more than $300 million US aid to the Palestinians. The US president wants to restore ties with the Palestinian Authority on Friday, including a meeting with his counterpart Mahmoud Abbas.
The aid package includes $100 million for hospitals and health care in East Jerusalem, which has yet to be approved by Congress in Washington.
More than 200 million will go to the UN agency UNWRA, the aid program for Palestinians who’s funding the US under President Donald Trump cut off. Trump essentially severed ties with the Palestinian Authority after a series of disputes, including Palestinian criticism of his decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and the rejection of his Middle East peace plan.
In recent days, Biden has tightened ties with Israel. He signed a statement with Prime Minister Yair Lapid confirming the “unbreakable ties” between the two countries. It also states that it will never allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
After a visit to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Biden will travel to Saudi Arabia later in the day, where he will meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, among others.