U.S. President Joe Biden appears set to appoint Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, Hady Amr, as the American Consul-General to the Palestinians.
Amr would work from the U.S. Consulate to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem — which Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last month would reopen, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday, citing multiple diplomatic sources.
2 View gallery
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, Hady AmrHady Amr
Representatives from Israel’s new government, many of its members still moving into their offices Monday, did not comment on the speculation.
The U.S. State Department would not confirm or deny Amr’s appointment to the Jerusalem Post nor comment on whether Blinken discussed the reopening of the consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid when the two spoke recently.
Amr is seen as a key figure behind the Biden administration’s policies towards Israel and the Palestinians, including U.S. plans to unconditionally restore aid to the latter — assistance which was curtailed during Donald Trump's presidency.
2 View gallery
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meeting with U.S. envoy for Israel-Palestinian affairs Hady Amr
(Photo: AFP)
He was also sent to facilitate de-escalation efforts during the latest round of fighting between Israel and armed groups in the Gaza Strip last month.
Amr served as a policy analyst and economist for former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Barak Obama and worked at the World Bank, World Economic Forum and the Brookings Institution.
He is seen as a practical figure, focused on humanitarian issues, by Israeli officials who have worked with him in the past.