Jordanian King Abdullah II Meets With U.S. Peace Team In Washington

Jordan’s King Abdullah II met in Washington with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt—ahead of the anticipated roll-out of the Trump administration’s much-hyped and long-delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. The latter two Americans have led the process of devising a comprehensive proposal to end the decades-long conflict, venturing into turbulent waters that have capsized all previous efforts. The initiative, which will focus heavily on economic development in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as provide monetary incentives to regional countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, will be launched shortly after Israel’s April 9 national elections. The meeting with Abdullah—whose nation is the custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem and who thereby has a vested stake in the endeavor—comes on the heels of a tour by Kushner and Greenblatt of Middle East capitals aimed at shoring up support for the plan. It appears that Team Trump will need all the backing possible as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been boycotting American officials since the U.S. recognition in December 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and has flat-out rejected any engagement in Trump-led negotiations.