Trump Meets Jordan's Abdullah as US Prepares to Unveil Middle East Peace Plan
Meeting follows tour of Middle East by senior White House advisers but no details on plan yet
WHITE HOUSE — As the U.S. prepares to roll out its Middle East peace plan, President Donald Trump met with King Abdullah of Jordan about stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a deal. So far, the White House has not disclosed details about the latest U.S. peace initiative, which Trump has touted as “The Deal of the Century." Speaking after a meeting with Abdullah at the White House, Trump did not say much about the plan to reporters. “His Majesty knows we're doing very well in the Middle East; a lot of progress has been made in the Middle East, a lot, and it really started with the end of the horrible Iran deal. That deal was a disaster and things are a lot different since we ended that; a lot different.” Whatever the plans envisions, its success will most likely require regional support, including from the Jordanian king, who has urged the Trump administration to endorse a two-state solution to the conflict. The king is the custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem, the city disputed by Israelis and Palestinians. Last week, Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, together with Middle East peace envoy Jason Greenblatt, traveled to the region to seek support for the peace plan. The Palestinians refused to meet with Trump’s team because of the president's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the U.S. embassy there. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. In an interview with a Palestinian newspaper, Kushner stated that the Trump administration will forge a peace plan, with or without the Palestinians’ involvement. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Washington is moving away from a diplomatic solution. “The United States administration of President Trump has actually moved from the squares of negotiations to the squares of dictations. They are determined to dictate a solution,” said Erekat. Trump and Abdullah also discussed other issues, including terrorism, the crisis in Syria and Iran’s influence in the region.