The man who holds the Israel-Palestine file at the State Department, Hady Amr, is not working on a comprehensive plan for peace, but on increasing steps to improve the situation on the ground, several Israeli, Palestinian and American sources say.
Why it matters: U.S. presidents have been in office for decades, hoping to reach a historic peace agreement. President Biden does not consider this feasible under the current circumstances.
- With Israel-Palestine far on the priority list in the White House, the issue will be handled primarily by the State Department, where Amr serves as deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs (unlike Barack Obama, Biden did not want to appoint a special envoy). for Middle Eastern peace).
- Foreign Minister Tony Blinken has made it clear that he does not expect a Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, Amr was instructed to build trust from below.
- Based on my conversations with a dozen current and former Israeli, Palestinian and American officials, Amr appears to be the embodiment of this more pragmatic approach.
Amr was the man from bottom to bottom in his four years of dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue during the Obama administration.
- He has worked closely with the Israelis to promote projects such as 3G networks for Gaza or sewerage systems in the West Bank.
- During the 2014 Gaza war, Amr worked 24 hours a day to redistribute all US aid to the Palestinians in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- It is up to Amr to implement policies at the highest level – often between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Foreign Minister John Kerry – in a very difficult political environment.
The back story: Amr was born in Beirut in 1967 and grew up mostly in New Jersey and Virginia.
- As an economist and foreign policy expert, he joined the Department of Defense during the Clinton administration, spent time in the private sector, and then joined the Brookings Institution in 2006 and established the Doha Center.
- Amr returned to the government during the Obama administration, first at the Department of Homeland Security and then as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
- In 2013, he was brought in by the then peace envoy Martin Indyk – also Amr’s former boss in Brookings – to work on economic issues concerning the Palestinians. Amr continued until the end of Obama’s second term.
- He was a foreign policy adviser to Biden’s campaign and involved in its outreach to the Arab American community.
What they say: General Yoav (Poli) Mordechai, the former coordinator of the Israeli government in the West Bank and Gaza, says he believes Amr is a knowledgeable professional who did not engage in political arguments but would rather have things done.
- Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser Reuven Azar, who was a close interlocutor of Amr while serving at the Israeli embassy in Washington, found himself pragmatic, humane and focused on improving the living conditions of Palestinians, he said. a source familiar with his thinking.
- An Israeli official who has spoken to Amr since his appointment describes him as intelligent with a very sober view of what can currently be achieved.
The other side: Palestinian officials tell me that so far they have been under the impression of Amr.
- ‘We will always joke that new American envoy would never know what the difference is between Sheikh Jarrah and Kafr’ Aqab. [two neighborhoods in East Jerusalem], ‘said one Palestinian official.
- “He knows. We haven’t talked to the Americans for years and finally someone is listening. ‘
The state of affairs: Amr is developing plans to return to talks with the Palestinian Authority, reverse some of Trump’s policies and resume financial aid to the Palestinians, probably with $ 75 million already allocated by Congress for aid. and development projects.
- These issues are at the top of his to-do list until the Israeli election on March 23.
- Amr will face two short-term political challenges: restoring US settlements on the West Bank without inciting a conflict with the Israeli government and drafting a policy on the Palestinian parliamentary elections scheduled for 22 May.
- He has already held talks with officials from both sides, including the Israeli ambassador to Washington, the Israeli deputy national security adviser, the Palestinian prime minister and the Palestinian director of intelligence.
What’s next: Amr’s debut on the world stage was during the meeting of international donors to the Palestinian Authority on February 23 to discuss steps to improve the Palestinian economy. Israelis, Palestinians and members of the international community will be watching closely.
Note: Due to unusual circumstances, Amr wears at least two other hats outside of his deputy secretary role.
- Without a special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Amr will represent the US in formats such as the Quartet, which includes diplomats from Russia, the UN and the EU. That group met on Monday about Zoom.
- Amr is also the de facto U.S. head of mission to the Palestinians since the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem was merged with the embassy in Israel in 2019 by the Trump administration.
- The Palestinians at the time stopped almost all communication with US diplomats in the embassy, and Amr will therefore be the key point for Palestinians hoping to communicate with the government.
Former and current US officials praise Amr’s knowledge of the nitty-gritty and ability to move difficult issues forward, and they say he was a mentor to the young foreign service officials who worked with him on the Israeli-Palestinian file.
- Indyk, the former boss of Amr, tells me that he’s the right person for these times because he knows the mechanics, the concerns and sensitivity of both sides, and his job is to improve the situation and it builds on the experience what he has. ‘
The conclusion: Amr has a much lower profile than others who own this portfolio, most recently Jared Kushner. But it fits in with the Biden administration’s modest goals.