WASHINGTON, DC — Jordan’s King Abdullah II this week met with Congressional leaders in the House and Senate, urging them to help end the war in Gaza and Lebanon quickly and discussing what the “day after” could look like, especially in the Gaza Strip, if the U.S. works closely with moderate Arab states to shape a better and more hopeful future for the Palestinian people.
His two-day visit to Washington included meetings with Biden administration officials to thank them for their support for strong U.S.-Jordanian relations over the past four years.
The King and his team also met with members of the Trump transition team to discuss critical regional issues that the new administration will face in 2025.
The King’s visit and meetings were first reported Tuesday on ALL ARAB NEWS.
“His Majesty stressed the need for immediate action to pressure Israel in order to ensure the adequate and sustained flow of relief and medical aid into the Strip,” according to a readout from the Jordanian embassy.
“The King reiterated the need to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and push for a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, while guaranteeing the fulfillment of Palestinians’ legitimate rights, noting the United States’ important role in supporting peace efforts,” the statement noted.
“His Majesty warned that failure to stop the war on Gaza will expand conflict in the region and lead to the continuation of the cycle of violence, stressing the need to work towards comprehensive calm in the region. The King called for stepping up efforts to ensure the success of the ceasefire in Lebanon, reaffirming Jordan’s rejection of anything that threatens Syria’s security and stability.”
King Abdullah also expressed concerns that some far-right members of the Israeli government might try to displace Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and criticized “violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers.”
He also said that “violations of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem must stop immediately.”
In remarks likely to get pushback from some Republicans in Congress — and possibly from members of the Trump team — “the King defended the work” UNRWA and “warned of the consequences of the decision to ban UNRWA’s activities, highlighting the importance of maintaining support for the agency as a lifeline for nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza,” the readout noted.
UNRWA is under increasing scrutiny and criticism and it has been revealed that numerous employees of the UN aid organization were Hamas operatives and that UNRWA facilities were used by Hamas to store weapons.
“The meetings also covered the strategic partnership between Jordan and the United States, as well as ways to expand it, with the King expressing appreciation for the US’ ongoing support for the Kingdom across multiple development projects and programs.”
Traveling with the King was Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and the Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh.
Joining them in meetings on Capitol Hill was Dina Kawar, Jordan’s Ambassador to the U.S.
