Jordan’s King Abdullah II has publicly spoken against Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” aiming to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying proposals that come at his country’s “expense” would be rejected, Israeli channel Kan 11 News reported.
“Our position is perfectly well-known. We will not accept proposals that come at our expense”, King Abdullah II reportedly said on Sunday during a conference in Jordanian’s Aqaba city.
Meanwhile, Kan 11 News argued that some officials in Gulf states were not rejecting Trump’s plan outright, even if it does not potentially include the creation of a Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, stressing that it was time to “hear new ideas” now.
Trump’s “Deal of the Century”
The US president is planning to unveil his long-expected Israeli-Palestinian peace plan this week during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival from the “Blue and White” party Benny Gantz, who arrived in Washington on Sunday. Little is known so far about the plan’s contents, apart from the economic portion suggesting massive investments in the Palestinian National Authority, including potential investments from the economies of regional powers.
It is unclear so far whether the plan will include a provision to create a Palestinian state according the region’s pre-1967 borders, but some reports and leaks to the media suggest that the deal could consolidate Israel’s control over one-third of the West Bank settlements, as well as to establish an army-less Palestinian state, however these claims have yet to be confirmed.
So far, the deal has been denounced by officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA), including a diplomat Saeb Erekat, who reportedly slammed the plan as something that would potentially endorse the Palestinian territory’s “permanent occupation”.
Jordan’s Position on PA
Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel, but according to King Abdullah II’s November remarks, Jordanian-Israeli relations are now at their lowest, following Netanyahu’s pledges to annex the Jordan Valley.