Egypt, Jordan intelligence chiefs meet Abbas in Ramallah

• Author: KHALED ABU TOAMEH
• Date: 17 January 2021
• Published date: 17 January 2021

Ahmed Husni, head of the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate, and Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, arrived unexpectedly in Ramallah at the head of delegations from their countries.

Majed Faraj, head of the PA General Intelligence Service, attended the meeting. It came two days after Abbas announced new general elections for the PA presidency, parliament and the PLO's Palestinian National Council.

The visit of the two intelligence chiefs was within the context of ongoing coordination between the Palestinians and the two Arab countries in preparation for engaging the Biden administration, a PA official in Ramallah said.

"We have decided to resume our contacts with the US administration," the official said. "We are optimistic about the new US administration. We are in full coordination with our Arab brothers."

The PA leadership boycotted the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump after he announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017.

Abbas briefed the two intelligence chiefs on the national reconciliation and his decree setting dates for general elections, according to the PA's official news agency, Wafa.

The "national reconciliation" refers to efforts to end the rivalry between Abbas's Fatah faction and Hamas.

Leaders of the two rival parties are expected to meet in Cairo in the coming days to...