King Abdullah presses Congress to oppose annexation

Jordan's King Abdullah has turned to the US Congress to help halt Israeli annexation plans, holding conference calls with its leaders to underscore the danger it poses to the region and to his country's peace treaty with Israel. Any unilateral Israeli measures to annex lands in the West Bank is unacceptable and undermines the prospects achieving peace and stability in the region, King Abdullah told the lawmakers according to the Jordan News Agency. He underscored the significance of a two-state solution at the pre-1967 lines with east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. It was a message he underscored to Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and the Senate. He also spoke with them about the strong ties between the two countries, including its strategic defense partnership. King Abdullah reached out to the US Congress, traditionally a strong bastion of support for Israel, just as a number of Democratic Representatives were circulating a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging him not to move forward with any annexation plan. “Unilateral annexation would likely jeopardize Israel's significant progress on normalization with Arab states at a time when closer cooperation can contribute to countering shared threats,” they wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Unilateral annexation risks insecurity in Jordan, with serious ancillary risks to Israel. Finally, unilateral annexation could create serious problems for Israel with its European friends and other partners around the world. We do not see how any of these acute risks serve the long-term interest of a strong, secure Israel,” they wrote. It was signed by Representatives Ted Deutch of Florida, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, David E. Price of Tennessee and Bradley S. Schneider of Colorado. In addition, the American Israel Public Relations Committee has said it would not criticize Israeli lawmakers for taking a stand against Israeli annexation. The Republican Jewish Coalition in turn is lobbying Congress in support of the move. US President Donald Trump's peace plan allows for Israel to apply sovereignty to 30% of the West Bank as early as July. Netanyahu can act on annexation as early as July 1, but he is under pressure from the Israeli right to act outside the context of the Trump plan.

King Abdullah presses Congress to oppose annexation

King Abdullah reached out to US Congress.

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King Abdullah presses Congress to oppose annexation

King Abdullah reached out to US Congress.

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