Jordan king meets Kushner, urges formation of Palestinian state with E al-Quds as capital

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has called for the formation of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 boundaries with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, in what appears to be at odds with Washington’s upcoming proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He made the remarks in a meeting with a US delegation headed by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, along with Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt, in Amman on Wednesday.

King Abdullah II, who acts as the custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem al-Quds, expressed his commitment to the so-called two-state solution.

The Jordan king had “stressed the need to step up all efforts to achieve comprehensive and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem [al-Quds] as its capital ... in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions,” the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s official Petra news agency reported that the two sides had exchanged views on “regional developments, especially efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Greenblatt also tweeted that he had a “constructive meeting” with King Abdullah II that included “a good conversation about regional dynamics.”

The US delegation is meeting with top officials in Morocco, Jordan and Israel this week before it unveils the economic portion of the so-called “deal of the century” during a conference in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25-26. 

On Tuesday, Kushner and Greenblatt held talks with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on the Manama forum, which has been boycotted by all Palestinian factions.  

The Palestinians have also rejected the US Middle East initiative as “the slap of the century” because it is said to hugely favor Israel.  

On Tuesday evening, Jordanian activists held a protest near the heavily-fortified American embassy in Amman to denounce Kushner’s visit and Trump's plan on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The demonstrators chanted slogans such as “The deal of the century will not pass,” and “Down with the US.” 

They also held placards reading, “No to the deal of the century,” and “Go back home Kushner.”

Addressing the crowd, Abdul Hamid Thunaibat, leader of the Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, called on the government to adopt a clear position regarding its participation in the Bahrain conference.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they will send delegations to the event and Israel’s Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has said he will also intend to attend.

Turkey: No deal without independent Palestine

Separately on Wednesday , Turkish foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu emphasized that any deal without the formation of an independent Palestinian state would be rejected.

Speaking at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Cavusoglu urged the body’s member states to join forces for the establishment of a sovereign Palestine, saying, “This is a responsibility that falls first and foremost on our shoulders.”

All OIC member states, he added, need to renew their commitment to preserving the status quo of Jerusalem al-Quds, which remains a red line.

“I am therefore confident that any peace deal which does not envisage the creation of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital is bound to be rejected by the OIC community,” the top Turkish diplomat said.

The so-called Middle East peace process was dealt a major blow in December 2017, when Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel. He also moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli-occupied city in May 2018.

Angered by Trump’s contentious move, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestine would no longer recognize the US as a mediator in the decades-long conflict with Israel.

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