Israel Agrees To Send More Water To Jordan After Push From Biden

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a request to increase the water supply to Jordan after prodding from the Biden administration, Israeli officials told me.

Why it matters: Israeli-Jordanian relations have recently sunk into a new crisis, with the water supply as one major point of tension. The Jordanian government asked the Biden administration in recent weeks for help in resolving the issue.

• Secretary of State Tony Blinken raised the issue in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, and encouraged the Israeli government to help the Jordanians.

The backstory: Israel has committed under past agreements to supply Jordan with water. Every year, Jordan asks for an additional amount, and Israel typically agrees right away.

• But this time, Netanyahu did not immediately consent — reportedly in retaliation for Jordan refusing to allow him to fly out of Amman to Abu Dhabi.

Read more at Axios.

{Matzav.com}