Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday to meet with King Abdullah II for the first time in over four years, seeking to shore up ties that have strained since he took office in December.
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The rare meeting between the leaders, who have long had a rocky relationship, comes as tensions grow over Israel's new right-wing government. The talks centered around the status of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem sacred to both Jews and Muslims, an emotional issue at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan's official statement indicated.
Jordan's royal court said the king urged Israel to respect the status quo at the sacred compound, which Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary.
Under an arrangement that has prevailed for decades under Jordan's custodianship, Jews and non-Muslims are permitted visits during certain hours but may not pray there. But Jewish religious nationalists, including members of Israel's new governing coalition, have increasingly visited the site and demanded equal prayer rights for Jews there, infuriating the Palestinians and Muslims around the world.
In Tuesday's meeting, King Abdullah II also pushed Israel to "stop its acts of violence" that are undermining hopes for an eventual peaceful settlement to the decadeslong Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Jordanian government added, reaffirming its support for a two-state solution.
Netanyahu's office said he discussed "regional issues" and security and economic cooperation with Jordan, a key regional ally. Jordan's 1994 treaty normalizing ties with Israel produced a chilly-at-best peace between the former enemies.
The Jordanian government has already summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman twice in the last month since Israel's new government took office – both times after an incident on Temple Mount. Netanyahu has repeatedly offered assurances that there has been no change in the status quo at the site.
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