King’s Ramallah visit sends ‘clear message’ of support for Palestinians — observers

AMMAN — The visit of His Majesty King Abdullah to Ramallah on Monday is timely and “delivers key messages”, demonstrating support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and their leadership, according to observers.

“Jordan has interconnected and sovereign interests linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state,” former media minister Mohammad Al Momani told The Jordan Times. 

Momani stated that the visit reaffirms Jordan’s historic, consistent, and firm position on the Palestinian cause and sends “a clear message” of support to the Palestinian people and to their leadership.

“Jordan is the lung from which Palestinians breathe,” Momani added.

He also noted that Jordan has a strategic interest in supporting Palestinian people, alongside the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realisation of a two-state solution.

“Supporting Palestinians is considered a religious and national duty,” Momani stated. 

Momani highlighted that the Hashemite Custodianship of safeguarding and preserving the Islamic and Christian holy sites is and will continue to be one of the most important tools for preserving the legal status quo of the Jerusalem holy sites.

“The visit sends a clear message of support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and their leadership,” Oraib Rantawi, director of Al Quds Centre for Political Studies, told The Jordan Times. 

Rantawi added that the timing of the visit indicates the importance of the Palestinian state for the King, especially now that the Palestinian cause has been seen as “neglected” due to the increasing global attention on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. 

“The Ramallah summit is consolidating the fact that the situation in the West Bank is a top priority for Jordan,” Rantawi added. 

HRH Crown Prince Hussein accompanied the King, along with Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan and General Intelligence Department Director Ahmad Husni. 

He also said that the huge crowd that accompanied the King on his visit to Ramallah indicates the importance of the Palestinian state for Jordan.

“The visit comes amid concerns of violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan”, Rantawi noted.

He added that the visit highlights continuous efforts to reduce tensions in the Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem ahead of Ramadan.

The period usually sees the tightening of arbitrary procedures by Israel, preventing Palestinians from exercising their right to perform religious rites.