King Abdullah: ‘Jordan-Israel relations are at an all-time low’

Abdullah put a damper on an event marking the 25th anniversary of the historic peace deal.

By World Israel News Staff

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that relations with Israel “are at an all-time low.” Ironically, he made his remarks at an event in New York on Thursday marking the 25th anniversary of the peace agreement between the two countries.

“Part of it is because of the Israeli domestic matters,” Abdullah said, apparently referring to the difficulty Israel has had in forming a government, Israel Hayom reports.

“The problems that we have had with Israel [are] bilateral… Now I hope, whatever happens in Israel over the next two or three months, we can get back to talking to each other on simple issues that we haven’t been able to talk about for the past two years,” he said.

Earlier this month, Jordan decided to not renew its 25-year lease of two small territories to Israel and to resume control.

He also said that the Palestinian issue needs to be solved before Israel will be accepted in the region.

“Israel’s future is being a part of the Middle East, but the problem is that is never going to happen 100% unless we solve the Palestinian problem. There is a lot of people in our part of the world who can say behind closed doors: ‘Do whatever you want.’ But in reality it is a sensitive or an emotional issue. Unless we can solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, we will never have the full integration that all of us deserve,” he remarked.

Abdullah also said U.S. involvement would be critical in any peace deal, Israel Hayom reports.

“Anybody who is in the international community who says that we can have peace between Israelis and Palestinians without the support of America doesn’t know our region and the role that America plays,” he said. “We all need America to bring both sides together.”

The New York City event was sponsored by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.