Gantz secretly met Jordan's King Abdullah - report
Regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu, Gantz stated that "his presence interferes with the advancement of [these] relations."
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFKing of Jordan Abdullah II addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France January 15, 2020.(photo credit: VINCENT KESSLER/ REUTERS)
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and King Abdullah II of Jordan recently held a secret meeting, according to a report by the Hebrew website Ynet. Last Friday, in a Zoom call with Blue and White Party activists, Gantz hinted: "I have a continuous and ongoing relationship with the Jordanian king and other Jordanian officials," adding that "it is possible to advance ties with the nation."Regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz stated that "his presence interferes with the advancement of [these] relations." Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi has also reportedly met at least twice with his Jordanian counterpart in recent months. News of the meetings comes as relations between Netanyahu and Abdullah are said to be tense. Last week, the king spoke at a conference organized by the Brookings Institution and said that there was no alternative to a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict.“We owe this to our world,” he said. “So let us learn from past mistakes and take the higher path of peace.”He noted that he spoke 19 years ago during the institution’s inaugural event about the need to solve the conflict, which he called the core issue in the Middle East. “So you can only imagine the frustration of the people still living in the midst of this protracted conflict, unable to move forward,” Abdullah said.“Occupation and peace simply cannot coexist,” he continued. “The Palestinian people have a right to an independent, viable and sovereign state on the June 4, 1967, lines – to live alongside Israel in peace and security.”He declared that there is no alternative to the two-state solution, and that "continued unilateral steps will only kill the prospects of peace.”
