Pence, Jordan’s Abdullah discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, embassy move

The Jordanian king met with Pence to discuss regional issues, including prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and Trump’s plan to moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  

Jordan’s King Abdullah II met on Monday with US Vice-President Mike Pence at his residence at the Naval Observatory, where they discussed a set of regional issues, several of which dealt with Israel specifically.

The discussion largely revolved around several possible policy changes on Israel that would conflict with the positions of King Abdullah, one of which is President Donald Trump’s stated plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Most recently, Trump said in an interview with CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) that “there’s certainly a chance” that the embassy will be moved to Jerusalem, while acknowledging that it was “not easy” to do and that there were “two sides” to the issue.

Pence and Abdullah also covered the topic of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Abdullah strongly backs a two-state solution that would require Israel to withdraw from eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, which were won by Israel after Jordan attacked during the Six-Day War in 1967.

However, Trump’s adviser on Israel, Jason Greenblatt, previously stated that Trump does not view Israel’s presence in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria as an obstacle to peace. Most recently, the Trump administration refused to condemn Israel’s plan for new housing units.

Despite the apparent differences of opinion on issues concerning Israel, Pence thanked Abdullah for attempting to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and reaffirmed the US commitment to Jordan’s security and economic development.

The meeting focused on other regional issues as well, including ISIS and the Syrian Civil War.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

ISISJudea and SamariaPenceSyrian Civil WarUS embassy