President Joe Biden has promoted Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr to a new post focused solely on engagement with the Palestinian Authority.
Amr’s new position will be Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs. He will continue to work from the State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in Washington DC while coordinating with the Office of Palestinian Affairs at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
“This step serves US interests by bolstering our ability to deepen the US-Palestinian relationship and help to manage challenges in the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, as well as the interests of Israelis, Palestinians, and our other partners in the region,” the official added. “The decision to create [this new] role was made to strengthen the US-Palestinian relationship.”
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were both informed of Amr’s new role prior to the announcement, an official told the Axios news outlet.
Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to work with Amr in his new role, according to the report.
