King Abdullah II
Only the creation of an “independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state” with its capital in Jerusalem will bring peace, Abdullah tells U.S. congressional leaders.
While there may be minor rumblings from some Arab states, experts on the right agree that there will be no major backlash and Trump’s peace plan will be recognized as diverging from the tried-and-failed approaches to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He said his country could pull out of its peace agreement. Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab nations to formally recognize the Jewish state.
In a speech to European lawmakers, Jordan’s King Abdullah II blasts Israel for “turning its back on its neighborhood,” and says U.S.-Iran tensions “threaten the stability of the entire region.”
“He understands what needs to be done to get the Israelis and the Palestinians closer together,” said King Abdullah II, although he has expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge to annex the Jordan Valley.
Talks between the two countries are in “pause mode” due to Israel’s political gridlock, Jordanian monarch says during New York conference.
Israeli farmland set to be handed back to Jordan
Following Amman’s refusal to extend a lease included in the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, Israel may soon have to return 247 acres of agricultural land to the Hashemite Kingdom.
King Abdullah II also warned the relationship between Jordan and Israel would be affected by such a move.
“His Majesty stressed the need for a comprehensive and lasting peace based on a two-state solution, leading to an independent Palestinian state on 4 June 1967 lines with east Jerusalem as its capital,” according to a statement from King Abdullah’s palace.
The “Arab Spring” largely passed Jordan by, in part because the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood supported King Abdullah, who now has to juggle the contradictory demands of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Bedouin and the country’s Palestinian majority.
The king also met with U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to discuss defense and military cooperation with Jordan.
The Palestinian Authority leader felt a need to coordinate issues with Jordan, after Egypt drifted towards Hamas and took steps to establish Hamas as the main address for Gaza.
