Jordan's King Abdullah II on Thursday told visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he must agree to a two-state solution if he wants to promote peace talks with the Palestinians, the palace said in a statement. "The king demanded the Israeli government declare its commitment to the two-state solution, accept the Arab peace initiative and take practical steps to achieve progress," the Jordanian statement said after the meetin in the Jordanian capital.
During the talks with the Israeli prime minister, who left Amman after a brief visit to the Kingdom, the Jordanian monarch stressed the need to halt settlement construction activities, remove road blocks and lift the embargo.
According to Petra news agency, the Jordanian King urged Israel to put an end to excavations, and other unilateral steps in Jerusalem that threaten the holy places, aim at changing it identity and empty the city of its Arab Muslim and Christian inhabitants. He also warned that "the region was facing a critical stage that required more efforts to end the conflict through an Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands in line with the land for peace formula as well as international legitimacy resolutions."
"The Arab Peace Initiative provides a historic opportunity for peace that would restore Arab rights and provide security to Israel," the King added during the meeting.
Abdullah noted that missing the current peace opportunity will threaten security and stability of the whole region. Israel, he said, will not enjoy security and stability unless the Palestinians gain the right to establish their state.
The Jordanian king dismissed recent Netanyahu's comments on his wish to promote"economic peace" deal with the Palestinians ahead of political talks. "Any notion of economic empowerment outside a political solution leading to an independent an viable Palestinian state living in peace besides Israel, was rejected since it would not bring peace an would leave the region hostage to further crises and conflicts" Abdullah conveyed.
