Defense Minister Benny Gantz met King Abdullah II on Wednesday in Jordan to discuss regional stability, the two sides announced on Wednesday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

According to a statement from the Jordanian monarchy, the king reaffirmed the "importance of maintaining calm in the Palestinian Territories and taking all measures to create the horizon needed to achieve just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution."

It follows a secret meeting last year between Abdullah and current Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, as well as a separate meeting between the countries' foreign ministers.

Gantz's office said that the minister "emphasized the strategic importance of the close ties between Israel and the Jordan, which contribute to the security of both nations." According to the statement, the two "discussed security and diplomatic issues and Gantz thanked the king for his efforts to maintain the stability of the region and for strengthening the peace and normalization."

The meeting comes just days after Gantz met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss efforts to calm the tension between Israel and the Palestinians amid a spate of attacks by terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Gantz came under attack by lawmakers on the Right for supposedly bolstering Abbas' stature and hosting him at his home in Rosh Ha'Ayin.

Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations soured in recent years over tensions relating to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the peace process with the Palestinians. The countries also fell out over a shooting incident by a guard at Israel's embassy in Amman.

Both Jordan and the Palestinians were adamantly opposed to the Trump administration's Mideast plan.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Gantz meets Jordanian king, stresses importance of close ties appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The head of the Islamist Ra'am party in Israel's governing coalition met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Tuesday, the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The meeting was held at Abbas' request and with the approval of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The Jordanian Royal Palace said in a statement that Abdullah and Mansour Abbas discussed "the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and ways to advance the peace process." The king restated his commitment to a two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Abbas's office confirmed that he met with the Jordanian leader in Amman but provided no additional details.

According to senior Ra'am officials, the two discussed Israel-Jordan ties as well as regional issues.

Abbas and his four-seat party made history in June by becoming the first Arab party to join a ruling coalition, enabling Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to form a government and oust longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Since the inauguration of Israel's new government in June, Bennett has prioritized mending fences with neighboring Jordan. In September, President Isaac Herzog met Abdullah in the Jordanian capital less than two months after Bennett met Abdullah in secret.

The two countries signed a peace accord in 1994 and share close security ties, but recent years saw relations sour over Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and frictions at the contested Jerusalem holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Ra'am chief Abbas meets with Jordan's Abdullah in Amman appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The 76th United Nations General Assembly entered its second day Wednesday, with the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia calling for a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

In a pre-recorded speech, Jordan's King Abdullah II said that the latest 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip underscored that "the current situation is simply unsustainable."

"General security for both sides, indeed for the whole world, can only be ensured by a two-state solution," he said and called for the creation of a Palestinian state established on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Jordanian king also called for continued support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz stressed in his pre-recorded speech Riyadh's longstanding position on Palestinian statehood.

"Peace in the Middle East is our strategic option," he said, emphasizing that it would include a solution to the Palestinian question and an Arab peace initiative that would guarantee Palestinians' rights to an independent state, also based on the 1967 lines and East Jerusalem as the capital.

Nevertheless, most of King Salman's speech focused on Saudi Arabia's rival, Iran. The leader said Riyadh supports efforts to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as world leaders prepare to resume talks with the ayatollah regime to reinstate the 2015 nuclear pact.

"The kingdom insists on the importance of keeping the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, on this basis we support international efforts aiming at preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons," King Salman said.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading Shiite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have been rivals for years, backing allies fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. They cut diplomatic ties in 2016, but have been holding talks this year aimed at reducing tensions.

"Iran is a neighboring country, and we hope that our initial talks with it will lead to concrete results to build confidence ... based on ... respect of sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs," the Saudi king said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post At UN, Jordan's King Abdullah urges progress on 2-state solution appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A Jordanian state security court on Monday sentenced two former officials to 15 years in prison over an alleged plot against the Western-allied monarchy involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Bassem Awadallah, who has US citizenship and once served as a top aide to King Abdullah II, and royal family member Sharif Hassan bin Zaid were found guilty of sedition and incitement charges. They are alleged to have conspired with Prince Hamzah, the king's half-brother, and to have sought foreign assistance. They denied the charges, and a lawyer for Sharif said they would appeal the verdict.

The rare public rift at the highest levels of the monarchy sent jitters across the region, with countries racing to express support for Abdullah.

Awadallah says he was beaten, subjected to electrical shock, and threatened with future mistreatment "if he didn't confess," Michael Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor hired by Awadallah's US-based family said. The prosecutor's office said Awadallah was given due process in line with Jordanian law and was not mistreated in any way. It said Awadallah only raised the torture allegations as the verdict neared.

The post 2 Jordanians sentenced to 15 years over alleged royal plot appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

US President Joe Biden reiterated his country's strong support for the Hashemite Kingdom's monarchy in a call with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Wednesday.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Biden underscored the importance of Abdullah's leadership to the United States and the region.

Together they discussed the strong bilateral ties between Jordan and the United States, Jordan's important role in the region, and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and security arenas, according to a readout of the call.

The reassurance is increasingly important as rumors of a planned coup swept the royal palace over the last week. The king's half-brother Prince Hamza bin al-Hussein said late Saturday he was being held under house arrest, although he denied any role in the alleged plot to overthrow the monarch.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Asked about the situation in Jordan during press questions following a policy speech on infrastructure, Biden said he remained unconcerned about the situation in Jordan.

In the call, Biden also reaffirmed his support for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

That statement arrived on the heels of an announcement by the US State Department that the US was reinstating some $235 million in aid to the Palestinians.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

The post Biden affirms commitment to Jordan's monarch, 2-state solution appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

 Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Jordan has yet to comment on the report.

According to the report in the official Palestinian mouthpiece Ma'an News Agency, the Jordanian monarch also refused to meet with Netanyahu's deputy and defense minister, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, who had asked to discuss the planned Israeli move. A Jordanian source told the agency that the planned Israeli action has hurt Israeli-Jordanian relations.

The Israeli bid to apply sovereignty to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is part of Netanyahu's efforts to implement parts of the Trump administration's peace plan, which was revealed earlier this year.

The plan allows Israel to extend its sovereignty to the various Jewish communities and the Jordan Valley once official maps are coordinated with the United States, and as long as it does not prejudice the status of areas that are designated for a future Palestinian state.

Arab countries have warned against the move, saying it is in violation of international law, but have not gone out of their way to fight it. The Palestinians have on the other hand warned against major ramifications if it gets implemented.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post King Abdullah reportedly refuses to take call from Netanyahu appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The two countries recently marked the 25-year anniversary of their historic peace agreement, although relations have recently strained.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"Part of it is because of the Israeli domestic matters," Abdullah said, in an apparent reference to the political gridlock in Israel which could see a third election in less than a year.

"The problems that we have had with Israel [are] bilateral… Now I hope, whatever happens in Israel over the next two or three months, we can get back to talking to each other on simple issues that we haven't been able to talk about for the past two years."

In his remarks, Abdullah also discarded the notion that peace could be achieved between Israel and the Palestinians without the backing of the United States.

"Anybody who is in the international community who says that we can have peace between Israelis and Palestinians without the support of America doesn't know our region and the role that America plays," he said. "We all need America to bring both sides together."

Jordan has long supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would include the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

In September, Abdullah said that if Israel goes ahead with the idea of annexing all the settlements in Judea and Samaria it would be a "disaster" for attempts to find any two-state solution.

Speaking after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the time, Abdullah said he was "extremely concerned" about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to annex parts of Judea and Samaria.

Abdullah on Thursday added that the peace process was currently stalled, suggesting it could not be revived until after a new Israeli government is formed.

"Unfortunately, we are in pause mode. As you well know, Israelis have gone through a series of elections. We may be seeing another three months of elections," he said. "So as a result, we are all in pause mode and we haven't been able to get people back around the table, talking to each other."

The Jordanian king stressed that Israel's full integration into the Middle East requires a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Israel's future is being a part of the Middle East, but the problem is that is never going to happen 100% unless we solve the Palestinian problem. There is a lot of people in our part of the world who can say behind closed doors: 'Do whatever you want.' But in reality it is a sensitive or an emotional issue. Unless we can solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, we will never have the full integration that all of us deserve," he remarked.

The post 'Jordanian-Israeli relationship is at an all-time low,' king says appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.