Israeli PM Lapid and Jordanian King Abdullah II meet in Amman, discuss strengthening ties
This was the first public meeting between an Israeli prime minister and the Jordanian king in five years
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid had a “long and warm” visit with Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday, following an invitation to the Amman palace, according to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office.
Lapid, who assumed the caretaker premiership earlier this month, has thanked the king for the invitation on social media, noting that “strong ties between Israel and Jordan mean a more stable and prosperous region.”
Israeli media outlets noted that this was the first public meeting between an Israeli prime minister and the king of Jordan in five years. Israel’s relations with the kingdom have fractured during former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most recent period of service.
When former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett traveled to Jordan to meet with the king last year, it was done in secret and reported a week later.
In their meeting, Lapid and Abdullah discussed the strengthening of ties and regional developments, including United States President Joe Biden’s recent trip to the Middle East and the “possibilities and opportunities the visit has brought along,” Lapid stated.
According to the Royal Hashemite Court, at the meeting, Abdullah highlighted the need “to reach just, comprehensive and lasting peace, on the basis of the two-state solution” with the Palestinians.
The two leaders talked about ways to build on the peace agreement between their countries and shared interests, the Israeli PMO stated, emphasizing the importance of “personal ties” and “mutual esteem” between Lapid and Abdullah for maintaining regional stability.
The PMO added that the two leaders instructed their teams to progress quickly on major bilateral projects, such as advancing the Jordan Gateway Industrial Park, building facilities for solar energy in Jordan and for desalination in Israel, growing joint tourism in the Gulf of Eilat-Aqaba, along with food security, agriculture and transportation cooperation.
Tal Heinrich is a senior correspondent for both ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS. She is currently based in New York City. Tal also provides reports and analysis for Israeli Hebrew media Channel 14 News.
