Israel must develop a clearer vision not only for the interests and aspirations of the Palestinians but also for its own long-term survival

http://jordantimes.com/expressing-solidarity

Jordan Times Editorial: Expressing solidarity

Dec 06, 2012 | 21:47 

 

His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Ramallah for talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, just after the upgrading of the Palestinian representation at the UN to non-member observer state and the end of a round of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, is symbolic.

It also is consistent with the King’s, and Jordan’s, stand in support of the Palestinians who struggle to end the decades-old Israeli occupation.

Few Arab leaders manage to pay official visits to the Palestinian territories to show their solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people. The King’s trip to the West Bank, therefore, sends the message that the Palestinians do not stand alone and that their bid for a two-state solution to their conflict with Israel is the only doable political move.

Jordan was among the first to condemn the recent Israeli decision to expand its settlement construction in and around East Jerusalem; this continuous expansion of illegal Israeli colonies in the West Bank is most counterproductive, and a sure killer of the two-state solution.

Jordan happens to be the closest Arab state to the Palestinians, both geographically and in terms of historical and social ties. The Kingdom stood by the Palestinians for decades, helping them economically, politically and morally.

The special, fraternal relations that bind the peoples of the two banks of the Jordan River are unshakable. The Monarch said Jordan will relentlessly work to see the Palestinians regain their rights and arrive at the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Israel must develop a clearer vision not only for the interests and aspirations of the Palestinians but also for its own long-term survival.

In the absence of peace, the conflict between the two parties will be kept alive, to their detriment and to that of the entire region.

Associated Press/Majdi Mohammed - King Abdullah II of Jordan, left, gestures during a welcoming ceremony with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prior to their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Jordan’s King Abdullah II has begun a brief visit to the West Bank in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ successful bid for U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

 Jordan king in West Bank to support Palestinians