US President Joe Biden hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah in the Oval Office on Thursday, outlining Washington’s view of Amman as playing a key role in maintaining regional stability, especially with regard to Israeli-Palestinian relations. Used to be.
This was Abdullah’s third visit to the White House since Biden took office, making him Biden’s most frequent foreign guest. The king had earlier visited in July 2021 and May 2022.
During a private lunch, Biden thanked Abdullah for Jordan’s role “as a force for stability in the Middle East,” according to the US readout on the talks.
“The leaders discussed opportunities and mechanisms to reduce tensions, particularly in the West Bank,” the White House said.
Biden “affirmed his strong support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as the custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, citing the critical need to maintain the historical status quo in the Haram”. Recognized important role Al-Sharif/Temple Mount,” the White House said.
Jordan’s Royal Court said in a statement that “Abdullah appreciated the United States’ significant efforts in restoring peace and creating a political horizon that maintains the prospects for a just and comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution.” “
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, as the location of the two Biblical Temples. It is also the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine in Islam. It has been a source of renewed tension between Israel, Jordan and the wider Muslim world since the return of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the premiership in late December.
Days after the new Israeli government was sworn in, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount, defying Jordanian warnings of diplomatic consequences. The visit drew widespread international condemnation and Amman summoned the Israeli ambassador for a reprimand.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount on January 3, 2023 (courtesy minhelet har habayit)
Jordan strongly opposes any change to the status quo governing the holy site, under which non-Muslims can visit the compound but cannot pray there. Ben Gvir has long campaigned for the rules to be changed to allow Jewish prayer. Since entering government, he has shrugged off such calls, criticizing the policy as “racist”.
Netanyahu insists that Israel is committed to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount.
Tensions rose again weeks later when Israeli police temporarily barred Jordanian ambassador Ghassan Majli from visiting the site, sparking a short-lived diplomatic tussle.
Jordan saw an improvement in its relations with Israel under the previous government after a rocky period over the past decade under Netanyahu. In a possible sign of the sides trying to patch things up, Abdullah hosted Netanyahu in Amman last week.
Jordanian Ambassador to Israel Ghassan Majli (left) argues with an Israeli police officer at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on January 17, 2023. (Screenshot: Twitter; Used in accordance with section 27A of the Copyright Act)
Israeli-Palestinian tensions escalated following an IDF raid in Jenin that killed nine Palestinian gunmen along with one civilian, followed by a terrorist attack in East Jerusalem that claimed the lives of seven Israeli civilians.
The Royal Court said, during the meeting, the Jordanian king “stressed the need to stop Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and push it forward.”
Besides Biden, Abdullah held meetings with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, new Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders.
While in Washington, King also met with a group of officials from major Jewish organizations. According to the Royal Court, the king used the occasion to reiterate several messages he shared with Biden, including the importance of both sides preventing “unilateral measures” that could fan the flames of violence. Used to provoke
Jordan’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel has helped boost Amman’s support in Washington over the past several decades. It is the largest recipient of US bilateral aid, receiving approximately $1.5 billion per year. (Israel receives the largest amount of defense aid at $3.8 billion per year).
The Hashemite Kingdom has struggled to pull itself out of an ongoing economic crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. The country recently witnessed a wave of protests over the hike in gas prices.
The US has sought to persuade Jordan to join the Negev Forum initiative, which seeks to foster cooperation between the US, Israel and several Arab countries with ties to the Jewish state. Amman has so far held off on doing so, saying it would only join if the Palestinian Authority does so, which has been a non-starter for Ramallah.
According to a US official, Blinken raised the issue earlier this week during his meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who said Ramallah had yet to respond.
