What Happened in the Netanyahu-Abdullah meeting in Amman?

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took an unexpected trip to Amman to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah yesterday.

Israel Radio News reports:

What did Netanyahu and King Abdullah talk about yesterday?  Al-Arabiya reported last night King Abdullah relayed a message from Syrian President Bashar Assad saying that Damascus was ready to renew talks with Israel. Netanyahu, speaking about the Syrian track, told Channel One: "It depends on Syria. We don't know what is positions are, how serious it is and how genuine its intentions are."

This morning an official Jordanian source denied the Al-Arabiya report. He said no message was sent from Assad to Netanyahu. He said that King Abdullah called on Netanyahu to publicly declare support for two states for two peoples and to adopt the Arab initiative.

Netanyahu told Channel One that the Arab states and Israel were in agreement

Netanyahu said that it was important to him to meet King Abdullah, and President Mubarak before him, before leaving for Washington next week.

Jacky Hugi and Maya Bengal in Ma'ariv:

The meeting between King Abdullah II of Jordan and Binyamin Netanyahu appeared calm yesterday, but under the surface, the Jordanian king spoke firmly and unequivocally. He demanded that the prime minister put a stop to settlement activity and quickly announce his commitment to a two-state solution.

At the initiative of the Jordanians, the visit was conducted in an atmosphere of secrecy until the last moment, and both sides evaded questions about it until it ended.  Contrary to custom, the statement issued by the king's bureau only quoted Abdullah's words, and ignored what Netanyahu had said.  "Israel will not achieve security or stability as long as the Palestinians do not receive their rights to a state and life in peace," Abdullah said to the prime minister.  "The international community agrees that there is no solution except for a solution of two states for two peoples.  This is the condition for peace in the region."

The statement said further that the king warned Netanyahu that "missing the opportunity to end the conflict will threaten the security and stability of the entire region."  Abdullah also warned against economic initiatives on the Palestinian track that are not anchored in a political solution, and demanded that Netanyahu stop the construction in the settlements.  "The region is in a critical situation," he said.

It should be noted that there has been great tension in relations between Israel and Jordan since Operation Cast Lead.  The situation in Gaza greatly embarrassed the king, who conducted peaceful relations with Israel while it waged an aggressive campaign against the Palestinians.

Abdullah, for his part, was hosted this week in Damascus by President Assad. Yesterday, the Palestinian rais, Abu Mazen, also came to Syria.

The meeting between [Abdullah and Netanyahu] was in direct continuation to the harsh sense evoked this week in an interview given by Abdullah to the Times of London.  In the interview, which was published this past Monday, the king spoke with unusual sharpness about Netanyahu.  He said that the last three months of Netanyahu's previous term, which ended in 1999, were the least pleasant period in the ten years of his rule.  He then added: However, today we are looking at the bigger picture, meaning the two-state solution.

Abdullah warned of imminent war, and pointed out that 57 states-one third of the UN member states-do not recognize Israel, and peace would ensure it this recognition.  He asked the Israelis: "Do you want to stay Fortress Israel for the next ten years? The calamity that that would bring to all of us, including the West?"

"Here is one final opportunity," Abdullah addressed Netanyahu's government in the interview, "If the only player in this equation between the West, the Arabs and the Muslims that is not being helpful and is against peace is Israel, then let's call it for what it is. Let Israel understand that the world sees Israeli policy for what it is."

Netanyahu's bureau stated: "The meeting was good and lasted for over an hour and a half.  Israel and Jordan see eye to eye on the danger of the extremists, particularly Hamas and Iran.  Netanyahu's bureau accepts with understanding Abdullah's call for two states for two peoples."

In the meantime, an unofficial signal from Damascus has been registered.  Al-Arabiya reported that in the meeting with Abdullah, Netanyahu received a message from Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to which he was willing to continue talks with Israel.  The Prime Minister's Bureau denied this.

Itamar Eichner in Yediot Acharonoth:

The road to Washington goes through Amman. After a long period of chilly relations between the countries, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met yesterday with King Abdullah of Jordan in his palace in Amman.

"This is a new, unprecedented phenomenon. The new situation presents challenges and opportunities on levels that we never knew before,"

Netanyahu said in an interview on Channel One after his meeting with the king. Netanyahu spoke little about the disagreements that broke out between them, which were reported in Jordan, and said that the relations of peace between Israel and Jordan, like that with Egypt, are very strong and stable, not only because of the increasing interest of both sides in peace, but mainly because for the first time, opinions in the Arab world are united regarding the strategic threat posed by Iran. In Netanyahu's opinion, this creates a rare opportunity to advance peace with the Palestinians while including the Arab world. With this message, Netanyahu will travel to President Obama on Saturday night.

   "The Jordanian king put pressure on Netanyahu to accelerate the processes that will lead to the declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state and the adoption of the 'improved' Arab peace initiative," a high-ranking political official in Amman said yesterday.

According to him, Netanyahu refused to promise this because of "the situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." However, the prime minister announced that he would work to advance economic projects with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. "We have common interests, and we spoke about ways to expand the circle of peace with the Palestinians and with other Arab countries," Netanyahu said. Last night, the Jordanian king telephoned the prime minister in an attempt to amend some of the statements regarding sharp disagreements between the two that were reported after the visit.

King Abdullah offered to mediate between Syria and Israel. Netanyahu responded, That depends very much upon Syria, its wishes and the purity of its intentions.