King Abdullah of Jordan
ARAFAT WANTS UNITY WITH JORDAN: Revitalizing a 1985 decision by the PLO, Arafat said Friday that he is interested in forging a confederation between Jordan and a future Palestinian state. Jordan's late King Hussein initially considered, then rejected, the idea, apparently fearing for the stability of his kingdom. About two-thirds of Jordan's population are Palestinians. In a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation, that percentage would rise considerably. In addition, many residents of Yesha and Jerusalem still hold Jordanian passports.
Meanwhile, the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Abdel Ilah al-Khatib -- in an interview with the French news agency, AFP -- said that Jordan's position on the issue had not changed since it was first raised in the early 1980's. He said the proposal would be considered after a Palestinian state had been set up. The newly-crowned King Abdullah feels that Jordan should take precedence over the Palestinians regarding territories captured by Israel from Jordan in '67. Perhaps the central expression of this philosophy will be Abdullah's determination to consolidate Jerusalem's Islamic holy sites -- especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque -- under Jordanian control. At the very most, Abdullah may be willing to allow the Palestinian Authority (PA/PLO) to be included in an umbrella religious organization under Jordanian jurisdiction. (AP, BBC, ARUTZ-7)
This Week - Israel in the News
Tzemach News Service
Week Ending: 13 February 1999 / 27 Shevat 5759
Web site: http://www.tzemach.org/fyi
Abdullah pleases his public at Israel's expense?
Weekend News Today
Fri Apr 2 , 1999 -- A formal announcement that Abudllah would
visit Syria came about a week ago, and the visit is arousing interest
because the King's first state visit since his ascension to the throne
is to Syria (with the exception of a short visit to Egypt and a
meeting with President Hosni Mubarak to inaugurate the new electricity
line between the two countries).The Palestinian public and leadership
are closely watching Abdullah's first days in power and are definitely
pleased with him up to this point. They are pleased that Abdullah has
strengthened his connections with the Arab world and hope this will be
at the expense of his relations with Israel. During his first weeks in
power, diplomatic relations that had been severed during the Gulf War
were renewed, and money was transferred from Saudi Arabia and the oil
states to strengthen the Jordanian dinar. Jordan's connections with
Egypt and the Palestinian Authority look good. Arafat has visited
Jordan twice in the past month.
But the biggest surprise is Jordan's friendship with Syria. Assad even
sent his son Beshar, whom he is grooming for leadership, to visit
Abdullah in the hopes of creating a bond of friendship between the two
heirs. A Jordanian rapprochement with the Arab world need not
necessarily come at the expense of relations with Israel, but right
now it looks as if it is. Normalization with Israel is very unpopular
in Jordan. There is no lack of subjects and issues that could cause
tension between Israel and Jordan. The issue of the slash in the water
quotas promised by the Netanyahu government to Jordan will crop up in
this drought-blasted summer. The Jordanians and Palestinians also
blame Israel for deliberately impeding commerce across the Jordan
River. Both Jordanian and Palestinian spokesmen blame Israel for a
colonialist economic policy, keeping Palestinian consumers to itself
while denying market access to Jordan and other Arab states.
The members of the Palestinian leadership who are hoping for a
deterioration in Jordanian-Israeli relations note with satisfaction
that the king's latest appointments advanced people of Palestinian
origin while trying to placate the devout Islamicists who are hostile
to Israel. Even the Palestinians who sit in cafes at Damascus Gate in
Jerusalem speak affectionately about the new King Abdullah. They
mention his common touch. Abdullah does not insist on being called
"Our Lord" and has issued orders to limit the endless ceremonies
associated with royalty. He has also ordered that fewer honorifics are
to be used when addressing him. After the 40 days of mourning for his
father, he appointed his wife, Raina (of the Abdullah Yasin family
from Tulkarm), as queen, while the Queen Mother, Noor al Hussein is
considered alien in the Jordanian-Palestinian world because she is
American and does not speak Arabic well.
All of these trends in the new Amman administration are important in
the months ahead and in the negotiations over the permanent status
between the Israelis and Palestinians. The subjects of Palestinian
refugees in Jordan, water rights, the status of Jerusalem and border
and commercial arrangements between Israel, Jordan and Palestine will
be the focus of struggles and crises in which King Abdullah and his
men will have a key role
Weekend News Today
Jordanian king highlights relations with Syria and Kuwait
Weekend News Today
Tue Apr 6 ,1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah Bin al-Hussein said
that Jordan's relations with both Syria and Kuwait are proceeding for
the better. King Abdullah said: "Our relations with our brothers
in Syria and Kuwait are good, and we are in continuous contact with
them to exchange viewpoints and to consult on issues of mutual
concern." The Jordanian king asserted his country's commitment
to the Middle East peace process to reach a just and comprehensive
peace that provides for restoring rights to their owners and
establishing security and stability in the region. The Jordanian king
said: "We are committed to backing the Middle East peace process
and to try, within our own capabilities, to help this process to
attain a just and comprehensive peace that provides for restoring the
rights to their owners and establish stability and tranquility for
the peoples of the region."
Abdullah confers with Arafat
Weekend News Today
Tue Apr 6 , 1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday in Amman
discussed with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat developments in
peace negotiations and obstacles impeding them, especially on the
Palestinian-Israeli track. Arafat briefed King Abdullah on the results
of his contacts and visits to several countries and on certain
thoughts proposed to the Palestinian side in order to revive
negotiations with the Israeli side and to settle problems remaining
between the two sides. Abdullah stressed Jordan's support for the
Palestinians and the ideas they have adopted and backing them to
attain their rights stated in the agreements signed between them and
Israel.
The Jordanian King also stressed the need to abide by
items of these agreements and honor the dates set for their
implementation. Discussions also dealt with bilateral relations
between Jordan and the Palestinian government and the cooperation
agreement signed between the two sides as well as eliminating
obstacles hindering its implementation which are not caused by either
of the two sides.
Abdullah denies meeting request from Israeli DM
Weekend News Today
Tue Apr 6 ,1999 -- Defense Minister Moshe Arens requested a
meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan, but the monarch declined.
According to sources in Jordan, the king was approached for a
"working meeting" with the minister, but it was decided
that it would be better to postpone such an event until after the
elections in Israel, scheduled for May,17 '99. Jordanian officials
report that Amman has decided to "distance itself" from the
Israeli political arena until after the elections. Sources in the
Defense Ministry responding to the report stated the minister never
requested a meeting and in any event, such a meeting is not currently
on the minister's agenda. According to a report in the daily Yediot
Ahronot, at the time of the elections in Israel, King Abdullah will
be in Washington where he will discuss the results with President
Bill Clinton.
Reviving the greater Syria project
Weekend News Today
Wed Apr 7 , 1999 -- The Jordanian weekly al-Majd has stated that the
Arab-Israeli conflict will be crystalized in the near future in the
form of confrontation and competition between the "Greater Syria
project" and the "Greater Israel project." In its Monday issue's
editorial, the weekly called for returning to reviving the project for
"Greater Syria," even within the context of a minimum level within the
framework of a confederation including Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon for
the meantime and later to contain Palestine after the establishment of
the real Palestinian state. The weekly added that organizing Syria,
Lebanon and Jordan in a confederation state would strengthen Jordan's
political positions and strengthen its water, economic and security
conditions. The paper added that great hopes are pinned on the visit
of Jordan's King Abdullah to Damascus, where he will meet with Syrian
President Hafez al-Assad. The paper called for strategic integration
relations between Amman, Damascus and Beirut which will be gradually
conducive to the establishment of "Bilad al-Shaam" confederation, and
thereby put the stick in the wheel of the "Greater Israel" project.
Abdullah to visit Libya
Weekend News Today
Tue Apr 13 , 1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah Bin al-Hussein will head
to Libya in coming week to fulfill an official invitation from Libyan
President Moammar Gaddafi to discuss bilateral relations, the current
Arab situation and regional, international and Arab issues. Libya
sources say that Libya will inform the Jordanian monarch and his
accompanying delegation about the results of investigations made into
the suspects in the Lockerbie case, the support received by Libya from
the Arab and Islamic states and the Non-Aligned Movement. The sources
added, "Libya will ask the Jordanian monarch to make a comprehensive
review of the peace process and the signed agreements with Israel,
especially as Libya opposes the peace process." The sources said the
two leaders will discuss bilateral relations, Arab reconciliation, the
situation in Iraq and urging Yemen to convene an Arab summit.
Abdullah will support Palestinians during final status talks
Weekend News Today
Mon Apr 12 , 1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah pledged he would never
pursue relations with Israel "at the expense" of relations with fellow
Arab countries, including Iraq, Syria, Egypt, or with the Palestinian
self-rule government. "With the new reign, we are opening a clean
sheet with everyone based on mutual respect," Abdullah told the
London-based Arab- language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi in an interview
published over the weekend. "Jordan is Arab first and last and cannot
shed its skin." He also said that Jordan would throw its full support
behind the Palestinians during final- status negotiations with Israel.
April 19, 1999
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Jordan's King
Abdullah met separately Saturday with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in
talks on Middle East peace and economic ties. King Abdullah received a
red-carpet welcome Saturday in the coastal town Sirte. Arafat arrived
with similar fanfare Friday night. Abdullah and Arafat were among the
first Arab leaders to fly to Libya after a 7-year U.N. travel ban was
lifted earlier this month. Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir visited
last week. Gadhafi met with Abdullah and Arafat, Libyan TV said. They
discussed Arab and international issues. Egypt's Middle East News
Agency said the talks focused on the stalled Mideast peace process and
efforts to unite Arab nations.
Infobeat News
'Remarkable relations' now between Syria and Jordan
Weekend News Today
Sat Apr 24 , 1999 -- The meeting held between Bashar al-Assad (son of
President al-Assad) and the Jordanian King Abdullah has added an extra
dimension to the Syrian-Jordanian comprehensive meetings which were
presided over by President al-Assad and King Abdullah, during which
two close-door meetings were held. In a remarkable step, the Syrian
news agency SANA said that Bashar al-Assad visited on Wednesday night,
King Abdullah in his residence and that during the meeting views were
exchanged on several debated issues. Jordanian sources told
well-informed sources in Damascus that the "remarkable relations"
established between King Abdullah and Bashar (34) add "a special
dimension to the bilateral relations between the two countries,"
adding that King Abdullah finds in the son of the Syrian President "
an ambitious project for renewal " and a strategist of a unique type
who matches to a great extent with his father President al-Assad. In
the plenary session which was presided over by the Syrian Prime
Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi and his Jordanian counterpart Abdul Raouf
al-Rawabdeh the two premiers agreed to convene the meeting of the
higher committee by the end of May. Official sources in Damascus
quoted al-Rawabdeh as saying that the Wadi Araba agreement which was "
imposed on Jordan " due to certain conditions will never be at the
expense of Syria. Replying to a question raised by one Jordanian press
man who accompanied the King in his trip back from Damascus to Amman,
on the extent of the impact of the relation with Damascus on that with
Israel, the King said: " We are a country open to all." He added he
will hold a tour next month. The tour, he continued, will cover the
US, France, Germany, and Belgium. He added that no invitation was
extended to him from Israel. Concerning Iraq, the Jordanian King said
" we feel the sufferings of the Iraqi people." He added that the
Jordanian view points in this matter " is identical with that held by
our brothers in Syria."
Jordan to get water from Syria
Weekend News Today
Mon May 3 , 1999 -- The first round of official talks was held in
Damascus on Sunday between a Syrian delegation led by Minister of
Irrigation Abdul Rahman al-Madani and his Jordanian counterpart, Kamel
Mahadin. An agreement was concluded on the building up of al-Wahda dam
according to agreements signed between Syria and Jordan. The two sides
also discussed means of supplying Jordan with about eight million
cubic meters of water from the Dam of Daraa (in southern Syria).
Officials representing the two sides attended the meeting. Earlier in
the day the Jordanian minister and his companions arrived in Damascus.
In an arrival statement the Jordanian minister expressed his joy over
visiting Syria following the recent summit meeting held between King
Abdullah and President Hafez al-Assad. The Jordanian minister added
that during his meeting with his Syrian counterpart talks will deal
with measures pertinent to al-Wahda dam and the provision of Syrian
waters to Jordan.
Jordan's king to visit Germany next week
Weekend News Today
Thu May 6 , 1999 -- King Abdullah of Jordan will pay an official visit
to Germany next monday, a Jordanian authorized source said on
Wednesday. During the visit, king Abdullah is scheduled to hold talks
with German president Roman Herzog and chancellor Gerhard Shroeder on
bilateral relations and the middle east peace process. King Abdullah
will then visit Britain on his way to the United States. Earlier on
Wednesday, the Jordanian monarch held talks with visiting British
foreign secretary Derek Fatchet.
Infobeat News 5/10/99
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Jordan's King Abdullah began a six-nation
Western tour Saturday intended to lobby for debt forgiveness and
strengthen support for the throne he inherited three months ago.
Abdullah, on his first tour to Western countries as king, was to
visit England, Germany, Canada, the United States, France and Italy.
In recent remarks to foreign journalists, Abdullah said he plans to
ask President Clinton to rally the world's leading industrial nations
to forgive half of Jordan's $7 billion in debt and annual debt
servicing. Among those accompanying Abdullah are members of the royal
court, Jordanian businessmen and economists.
Arafat to visit Syria
Weekend News Today
Mon May 10 , 1999 -- Chairman of the Palestinian National Council
Salim al-Za'noun has stressed that a Syrian-Palestinian summit will be
held shortly, saying that contacts and efforts exerted by Jordan's
King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have yielded fruit.
The results attained by the Palestinian delegation led by the chairman
of the PLO political department in Damascus are also promising in this
regard. He added that the Palestinian leadership is careful to restore
relations with Syria, "due to its strategic importance and position."
He noted that statements made by the Syrian leadership towards the
Palestinian interests are encouraging. Meanwhile, Palestinian sources
told the Syrian officials that Arafat desires to visit Damascus in
light of the mediation held by King Abdullah of Jordan. A high-ranking
Palestinian official told the paper in Gaza that he can assert that
King Abdullah discussed the issue of Arafat's visit to Damascus with
President Hafez al-Assad and that the "window for discussions was kept
open and that the Egyptian officials are working in the same
direction."
The [Israeli] Prime Minister's Report
Report: Barak Will Withdraw from
75% of West Bank
LONDON - Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak will withdraw from 75
percent of the West Bank, but will insist on retaining an unspecified
area along the Jordan Valley, according to the newsletter Foreign
Report, to be published here today.
Quoting a "senior leader" of One Israel, it said the depth of
territory to be retained along the Jordan River will be determined by
negotiations, but that Barak regards this strip as the "eastern final
border of Israel."
He envisages most of the West Bank settlements remaining under Israeli
sovereignty, with inhabitants of abandoned settlements being given the
option of either moving to other settlements or resettling within the
Green Line.
No budget is planned for settlements, said the source, and work at Har
Homa will be stopped immediately, as will "pirate settlements" that
were permitted to develop during the final five-month tenure of
outgoing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
While Barak will insist on Jerusalem remaining united under Israeli
sovereignty, he will allow a form of "municipal sovereignty" for
Palestinians in the city, while handing control of the Moslem holy
sites to Jordan's King Abdullah II.
According to the newsletter, Barak is anxious to implement the Wye
agreement and move to final-status talks as quickly as possible.
The newsletter quoted the source as saying that while Barak may appear
to be more flexible than Netanyahu in negotiations with Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, "he is no less tough, maybe more
so."
"If Arafat thinks he can return to his old tricks by using the
possibility of Hamas operations against Israel as a kind of threat, he
will learn very quickly that this tactic cannot work with Barak," said
the source.
In a related development, the newsletter reports that the South
Lebanese Army is in the process of disintegration.
The force is unable to recruit soldiers to man its positions, while
some SLA officers and men are suspected of working for Hizbullah.
It said Israel has failed to find a replacement for SLA commander Gen.
Antoine Lahad and noted that the commander of the SLA training camp,
along with hundreds of SLA soldiers, have emigrated to Sweden.
It also reports that members of the SLA General Security Service,
enticed by offers of "amnesty," have defected to Hizbullah with the
names of their agents.
Even though the SLA soldiers are still being paid, fed, trained, and
armed by Israel, added the newsletter, many have switched their
allegiance to Hizbullah.
Jordan's king to visit Kuwait
Weekend News Today
Sun May 23 , 1999 -- King Abdullah of Jordan has accepted an
invitation to visit Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Cabinet said Sunday. The two
countries have recently ended a nine-year rift. Unlike Gulf Arab
nations and several Arab states, Jordan did not join the U.S.-led
coalition against Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Many Kuwaitis
felt Jordan favored Iraq. Relations began to improve in 1996 when
Jordan distanced itself from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. A Cabinet
statement said the emir, Sheik Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, received a
letter from King Abdullah indicating he has accepted an invitation to
visit. It did not say if any dates have been set. King Abdullah
assumed the throne on Feb. 7, hours after his father, King Hussein,
died of cancer. Abdullah's wife, Queen Rania, grew up in Kuwait, where
her father worked as a physician. The family left after the 1990 Iraqi
invasion. Jordan's embassy in Kuwait reopened in March but is headed
by a charg e d'affaires, not an ambassador.
Three ecomonic agreements between Syria and Jordan
Weekend News Today
Sun May 23 , 1999 -- Syria and Jordan signed yesterday three
agreements to enhance cooperation in the fields of agriculture,
electricity and mineral wealth. From the Syrian side, Minister of
Agriculture Asad Mustafa signed the agreement, while Jordanian
Minister of Agriculture Hashem Shboul signed for Jordan. Sources said,
"The agreement runs for five years and will be automatically renewed
unless one of the two sides objects." He added that it calls for
establishing a joint marketing front for agricultural products that
include crops and vegetables. Syrian Minister of Electricity Munib
Saim al-Dahar and his Jordanian counterpart Suleiman Abu-Alam signed a
note of understanding that calls for enhancing cooperation in the
fields of energy, electricity and finishing the bilateral electric
link project. Jordanian Minister of Irrigation Kamel Mahadin and his
Syrian counterpart Abdul Rahman al-Madani signed the special
procedures for establishing a dam that was agreed on, providing
necessary money from some Arab and intimate funds.
Jordan, Syria sign agreement on oil
Weekend News Today
Sun May 23 , 1999 -- In another sign of improving ties between Jordan
and Syria, the two Arab neighbors yesterday signed an agreement paving
the way for closer cooperation in oil and natural gas exploration and
energy sharing. The agreement allows for the use of Syrian expertise
in oil and gas exploration in Jordan, which has no known oil reserves,
Jordan's Petra news agency said. The agreement also envisages swift
measures for linking the two countries' electrical grid later this
year as part of a regional project already underway, the agency said.
Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Suleiman Abu-Olleim
and Syrian electricity and energy officials signed the accord in a
Damascus ceremony earlier in the day. Relations with Syria improved
when King Abdullah ascended to the Jordanian throne three months ago,
succeeding his father, the late King Hussein. The two countries had a
falling out after Hussein cut a peace deal with Israel in 1994. Syria
last week began pumping water to parched Jordan to help ease its acute
water shortages resulting from a severe regional drought
King Abdullah of Jordan to meet with pope
Weekend News Today
Mon May 24 , 1999 -- King Abdullah of Jordan is to meet Pope John Paul
in the Vatican on June 4, an envoy of the pope said on Sunday. `King
Abdullah will be received by the Pope,'' said Dominique Rezeau, charge
d'affaires of the pope in Amman. He gave no further details of the
king's trip and Jordanian officials declined to confirm the meeting,
which would follow King Abdullah's planned visit to France on June 2
and talks in Amman with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah on June
3. Jordan's Abdullah, king for only three months, has already
travelled to the Gulf Arab states and North Africa. He has yet to
return from a four-nation tour of the Europe and North America and is
due to travel Tunis and Algeria at the end of this month. He has
repeatedly expressed optimism about the Middle East peace process and
said Arab states would respond positively if Israel showed real
commitment to make peace with Palestinians and with neighbouring
Syria.
Abdullah talks peace with NY Jews
Weekend News Today
Mon May 24 , 1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah II, continuing his rounds
in the US, yesterday eagerly reiterated his euphoria with Prime
Minister-elect Ehud Barak's victory at a breakfast meeting with the
Presidents Conference at Manhattan's Regency Hotel. "There's such a
sense of euphoria in the Middle East now, replacing the months and
years of frustration," said Abdullah."If something doesn't happen in
the next three or four months, I fear that the backlash will be even
worse than it was a couple of months ago." Barak and Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat "see eye-to-eye on how to move
ahead," he told New York's Jewish leaders, a Park Avenue site known
for the "power breakfast." The buoyant monarch deftly sidestepped
questions about UN resolution 181, the 1947 partition resolution,
which he referred to as part of the agitation during the Israeli
election campaign. He did not assign any blame, saying instead that
both sides have created "complications." "I think we have to put the
past behind us," said Abdullah, who employed all sorts of standard
phrases to indicate that, as far as he was concerned, the past is
past. There was, he said, both a new start and a clean slate. When
asked a general question about refugees, Abdullah said: "We do believe
in the right of return," but then quickly added that the final-status
issues are "complicated."
He became mildly somber when asked about Jerusalem. "For everyone,
Jerusalem is the most sensitive issue," he said. When asked about
access to the Old City, Abdullah said that Jerusalem had been kept
"extremely well," and made no reference to Jordan's previous
sovereignty of the city, in which Jewish access to the holy sites had
been barred. "Jerusalem is bigger than the boundaries of the city,"
Abdullah said. "It touches hearts everywhere."
Jordan raising its profile among Arabs
Weekend News Today
Mon May 24 , 1999 -- Jordan is raising its profile as a venue for
high-level diplomatic contacts in the region, with Lebanese President
Emile Lahoud going to Amman with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamel Harazi
this coming Saturday, and a high-ranking Saudi Arabian delegation due
next week. According to a front page article in A Ra'i, the official
newspaper of the kingdom, the visits are part of King Abdullah's
effort to position his country as an intermediary capable of helping
the peace process because of Jordan's unique position as a friend of
both Israel and the Arab world. The paper specifically noted that with
the departure of the extremist Likud and the arrival of the moderate
Labor Party in the Israeli government, Jordan will have a central role
in bringing viewpoints closer.
Jordan's King To Meet With Arafat
Weekend News Today
Tue May 25 , 1999 -- King Abdullah of Jordan will hold talks with
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday during the king's first
visit to the autonomous Palestinian areas. Arafat's office said in a
statement Tuesday that Abdullah and Arafat would discuss the Mideast
peace process. The meeting is to take place at Arafat's Gaza City
headquarters. In Amman, government officials said the talks with
Arafat will focus on forging a unified Arab stance prior to resumed
peace negotiations under a new Israeli government headed by Prime
Minister-elect Ehud Barak. The meeting is part of contacts under way
to convene a five-way summit that would gather Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria and the Palestinians, the officials said, speaking on customary
condition of anonymity. Abdullah has said he seeks closer Arab
coordination to thwart any Israeli attempt to divide Arabs by
advancing negotiations with Syria and Lebanon while stalling on a
final settlement with the Palestinians. Jordan signed a peace treaty
with Israel in 1994.
King Abdullah calls for strong Egypt-Jordan-Palestinian coordination
Weekend News Today
Thu May 27 , 1999 -- Jordan's King Abdullah Bin Hussein and
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat have asserted the need for
"continued Jordanian- Palestinian coordination and the tripartite
Jordanian, Egyptian and Palestinian coordination prior to starting the
final status negotiations with the Israeli side." The two sides agreed
on the need "to revitalize Arab coordination on all levels and to give
such a coordination a dimension and level that complies with the
forthcoming phase of negotiations so as to assure Arab backing for the
Palestinian negotiators and the importance of attaining Palestinian
rights, especially the establishment of the independent Palestinian
state with Jerusalem as a capital." King Abdullah and Arafat also
underlined the importance of resuming negotiations on the Syrian and
Lebanese tracks according to the Madrid terms of reference. Jordanian
Foreign Minister Abdil Ilah al-Khatib said upon reading the joint
statement released by the bilateral summit between King Abdullah and
Yasser Arafat that, "Arab coordination is of special significance in
this phase when all sights are directed towards achievements in the
peace process after this process is being accelerated on all tracks."
The visit of King Abdullah Bin Hussein is the first of its kind since
he assumed power in succession of his father, King Hussein. The
Jordanian King was accompanied by a high-ranking Jordanian delegation
including Prince Hashem Bin Hussein, Prime Minister Abdul Raouf
al-Rawabdeh, the chairman of the Royal court Abdul Karim al-Kabareiti,
the King's advisor Salah Abu Zeid, Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah
al-Khatib, Information Minister Nasser al-Louzi, Minister of the
Interior Nayed al-Qadi and Trade Minister Muhammad Asfour.
Abdullah sends a message to Syria
Weekend News Today
Thu May 27 , 1999 -- Following his Wednesday meeting in Gaza with PLO
Authority (PA) Chief Yassir Arafat, King Abdullah of Jordan sent a
senior messenger to Damascus with a letter for President Hafez
el-Assad. The king called for increased Arab unity following the
election of Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak in Israel and reports from
Amman stated that the king on Wednesday spoke with Prime
Minister-elect Barak as well as President el-Assad and Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak.
King Abdullah wants A position as mediator
Weekend News Today
Thu May 27 , 1999 -- Greeted with a red carpet royal welcome, Jordan's
King Abdullah arrived in the PLO Authority (PA) autonomous city of
Gaza on Wednesday. PA Chief Yassir Arafat was on hand to greet the
ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom. Arafat and the king discussed the Oslo
process with Israel, with the king expressing his wishes to establish
himself as a mediator between Israel and the PA. Arafat reportedly
expressed his support for a five-way summit to include the leaders of
Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan even before Prime Minister-elect,
Ehud Barak, forms his new government. A five-way summit has the
backing of Egypt and Jordan, but might be difficult to convene because
of long-standing hostility between Arafat and Syrian President Hafez
el-Assad. PA officials are concerned that Israel's desire to withdraw
from the security zone of southern Lebanon will pressure the new
government into negotiating a deal with the governments of Lebanon and
Syria, possibly leaving the Oslo process and the PA on the backburner.
Abdullah's trip Wednesday was his first to the autonomous areas. An
accomplished pilot like his father, the late King Hussein, Abdullah
sat in the cockpit when his Tri-Star jet landed at Gaza International
Airport.
Saturday, May 29, 1999: The News Channel
Lebanese President in Jordan
AMMAN (AFP) -- Lebanese President Emile Lahoud
arrived here Saturday for talks with Jordan's King
Abdallah, the first such visit in over 10 years.
The president was welcomed at the airport by the
Hashemite monarch before heading off to start their
talks.
The two leaders are expected to discuss ways of
coordinating a common Arab approach to the Middle
East peace process following the election of Labor
leader Ehud Barak as Israel's prime minister on May
17.
The talks are due to touch on Israel's occupation of
south Lebanon and other regional issues as well as
bilateral trade.
Following Barak's election, the Palestinians have
been making efforts to convene a summit with the Arab
states most directly concerned by the Middle East
peace process -- Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Barak has pledged to withdraw from Lebanon within a
year and resume peace negotiations with Lebanon and
Syria.
Lahoud's visit is only his second trip outside
Lebanon since taking office on November, and the
first by a Lebanese president to Jordan since 1987.
In February he visited Syria, the main power broker
in Lebanon.
Arabia On Line
1997- Notes on Revelation
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz
http://upway.com/cgi-bin/went
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Dateline Isreal
*** Jordan's king, Arafat meet Gadhafi
http://www.infobeat.com
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
*** New Jordan king to visit U.S., Canada
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
Volume 3, Number 29
May 20, 1999
By Douglas Davis, Jerusalem Post
By Andra Brack
Source: TampaBay Online (AP)
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz
By Andra Brack
Source: Reuters
By Andra Brack
Source: Jerusalem Post
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz
By Andra Brack
Source: Newsday (AP)
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraeliWire
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraeliWire
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/lahoud29.shtml
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