You are here

A clear message

Aug 08,2017 - Last updated at Aug 08,2017

His Majesty King Abdullah's visit to Ramallah in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is perhaps his most significant yet.

The visit came on the heels of repeated Israeli provocations in and around Al Aqsa Mosque and continued illegal Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank.

King Abdullah warned that time is running out on efforts to reach a settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, no doubt due to Tel Aviv's stance under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fallout from the recent Israeli threats to holy sites in Jerusalem and its defiance of the historic and legal status of the King as the custodian of Islamic and Christian holy shrines there continue to reverberate. 

Abbas shares, no doubt, the King's growing frustration over the stalemate in peace efforts.

Jordanian-Palestinian relations are historic and enduring due to the shared history and interests of the two peoples.

The King's itinerary was a direct flight to the Palestinian city. Even though the trip was short in terms of duration, it was enduring in symbolism and its sense of purpose at a time when the Palestinians and their leadership need Arab support the most.

Recently, His Majesty noted that Jordan has never missed an opportunity to highlight the Palestinian issue as the central regional cause on the international arena. He has often appeared to be the lone Arab voice in focusing consistently on this issue.

 

The King's visit to the West Bank, therefore, sends a clear message to Israel and the rest of the international community that the Palestinians are not alone in their struggle for freedom, and that Jordan stands shoulder to shoulder with them in their quest to establish their own independent state on Palestinian soil.

up
57 users have voted.


Newsletter

Get top stories and blog posts emailed to you each day.

PDF