In a phone discussion with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the need for reform in the Palestinian Authority, according to the State Department.
The call was part of a larger effort to strengthen bilateral relations.
US President Joe Biden has been working to restore ties that were strained when his predecessor, Donald Trump, cut aid to Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza and closed the US consulate for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied city of Jerusalem.
Abbas’ office did not mention any discussion of reform within the authority, in a readout of the phone call.
The readout also says that Abbas told Blinken that Israel must “stop the abuse of prisoners and … the withholding of taxes.”
Israel in 2018 began deducting the value of the prisoner stipends from taxes it collects on the Palestinian Authority’s behalf and transfers to it monthly.
