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Biden meets with Abdullah, affirms ‘unwavering US support for Jordan’ as guardian of holy sites

In conversation with King Abdullah at the White House, Biden emphasized his support for the two-state solution and Jordan’s role as guardian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, apparently including the Temple Mount.

By World Israel News Staff

U.S. President Joe Biden met Thursday with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, where they “reaffirmed the close and enduring nature of the friendship between the United States and Jordan,” the White House announced.

“Jordan is a critical ally and force for stability in the Middle East, and the President confirmed unwavering U.S. support for Jordan and His Majesty’s leadership,” the announcement said.

The two leaders discussed the urgency to “stem violence, calm rhetoric and reduce tensions in Israel and the West Bank,” i.e., Judea and Samaria.

Last Friday night, a Palestinian terrorist murdered seven Jews outside a synagogue in Jerusalem following Shabbat evening prayers. The following day, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy shot a Jewish father and son outside the Old City, critically wounding the father.

A few days earlier, an Israeli counterterrorism raid in Jenin, a hotbed of violence, eliminated nine terrorists.

The Jerualem attacks came on the heels of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s three-day visit to the region, which included meetings with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

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Echoing his top diplomat’s statements, Biden “affirmed his strong support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and cited the need to preserve the historic status quo at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.”

“The President also recognized the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s crucial role as the custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.”

The Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site and Islam’s third-holiest, after Mecca and Medina.

According to the White House announcement, Biden and Abdullah also discussed the political and economic benefits of further regional integration in infrastructure, energy, water, and climate projects, with Jordan a critical hub for such cooperation and investment.