Jordan’s Abdullah warns of ‘massive conflict’ if Israel proceeds with annexation
Jordan’s King Abdullah warned of “massive conflict” between his country and Israel if the Jewish state proceeds with annexing territory this summer in Judea and Samaria.
King Abdullah
In an interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the Jordanian monarch reiterated that a two-state solution was the “only way forward” as a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
“What would happen if the Palestinian National Authority collapsed? There would be more chaos and extremism in the region. If Israel really annexed the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” said Abdullah.
He also suggested that his country could pull out of its peace agreement with Israel. Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab nations that formally recognize the Jewish state.
“I don’t want to make threats and create an atmosphere of loggerheads, but we are considering all options. We agree with many countries in Europe and the international community that the law of strength should not apply in the Middle East,” said the king.
The comments by the Jordanian leader come as several European nations are pushing for punitive action against Israel if the country forges ahead with annexation. E.U. foreign-policy leaders are set to discuss the issue at a virtual meeting on Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a quick visit to Israel this week to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. Pompeo urged progress on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.
Under the plan’s proposal, Israel could push ahead with annexation some 30 per cent of territory in Judea and Samaria, which includes Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, as part of efforts to resume talks with the Palestinians. In an interview last week, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that Washington would not oppose Israeli annexation after July 1.
JNS
The United States is Jordan’s single largest provider of bilateral assistance, providing over $1.7 billion in 2017, including $1.3 billion in bilateral foreign assistance and over $200 million in Department of Defense (DoD) support.
The United States would be in a strong position to reduce its funding for Jordan if Jordan were to misbehave. King Abdullah would be forced to think twice of exacerbating tensions with Israel if he was facing a serious cutback in American aid.