US-Palestinian economic ties resume after 5 years

US-Palestinian economic ties resume after 5 years

Five years after the suspension of US-Palestinian talks on economic issues, Washington appears to be open for the resumption of economic talks. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland recently met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, inaugurating the way for talks that were suspended during the Trump administration and for the most part of the first year of Joe Biden's presidency. 

During the meeting with Nuland, Abbas said Israel must stop unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution. Nuland wrote on Twitter that she held a “productive discussion” with Abbas on Monday “on the renewed US relationship with Palestinians, respect for human rights and democracy, and support for a two-state solution.”

Unable or unwilling to even pursue their own election commitment to reopen the US Consulate in Jerusalem, Washington appears to have accepted the ground rules set by Israel’s government. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett adopted the former Khartoum Arab formula of the three no’s by telling the US president in their August summit link that in his two-year rotating term he will not meet with the Palestinian leadership, will not negotiate with Palestinians, and will certainly not support the two-state solution for peace with Palestinians.