Deep-rooted relations

The visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and his accompanying ministerial delegation to Jordan on Saturday for talks with Prime Minister Omar Razzaz and other Cabinet ministers is historic, strategic and far-reaching in more than one way.

Prime Minister Razzaz was direct and to the point when he told the Palestinian delegation that the Palestinian cause is Jordan's first regional priority, and that Jordan will always cling to the two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

For this reason, Razzaz continued to say, Jordan will never be a party to any deal, project or scheme that aims to undermine Jordan's principled and unequivocal position on the Palestinian case or jeopardise Palestinian rights to establish their own independent state in the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Razzaz told Shtayyeh and his delegation that Jordan will forever stand by the Palestinians with all its might and abilities until they are able to exercise their inalienable rights in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Above all, Razzaz added, Jordan will never make compromises on East Jerusalem or the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy places in East Jerusalem.

For his part, the Palestinian prime minister noted the deep-rooted historic, geographic and demographic links between the Palestinians and Jordanians. Shtayyeh emphasised that for his people, Jordan is not only a "gateway" for the West Bank, but also the "bridge" for contacting the outside world.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Shtayyeh’s words were when he said that henceforth, the Palestinian Authority will be on a different trajectory that aims to disengage gradually from dependence on Israel and replace it with stronger ties and reliance on Jordan with regard to matters ranging from, inter alia, trade, commerce, health, energy, agriculture and customs duties.

The two sides are bent on forging and cementing new bonds, even under difficult conditions, and have, indeed, inked several memoranda of understanding covering a wide range of bilateral ties for this purpose.