BICOM

President Shimon Peres met with Jordan’s King Abdullah yesterday in Amman. Reports say that the two leaders discussed issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Abdullah also briefed Peres on his recent visit to Ramallah.

The Petra news agency reported that Abdullah stressed that Israel must stop unilateral steps, halt settlement construction and not change the character of Jerusalem’s holy sites in order to resume peace talks with the Palestinians. King Abdullah also voiced concerns over the possibility that Jordan will be regarded as the Palestinian state.

The Israeli president, for his part, emphasised that two-states for two peoples is feasible through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Peres also presented Abdullah with the steps Israel could take to build an atmosphere of trust with the Palestinian Authority, which could lead to negotiations.

Relations between Israel and Jordan have experienced difficulty recently, where King Abdullah has criticised Israeli policies on several occasions.

Prior to leaving for Amman, President Peres met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two discussed the importance of strengthening the good strategic ties between Israel and Jordan.

In related news, Netanyahu yesterday addressed the possibility that the Hamas politburo in Damascus would move to Jordan. Netanyahu said that King Abdullah would not let this happen, as he knew the significance of having Hamas operating from within his country.