‘Jordan has spearheaded confrontation of Israeli annexation plan on global stage’

AMMAN — Jordan’s response to the Israeli government’s decision to annex Palestinian lands has been to mobilise an international response to prevent its implementation, according to various experts in the political field.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi recently said in a press conference that Jordan “continues to voice its stance rejecting the annexation by working with various regional and international partners to foster negotiations in hopes to achieve a state of just peace based on a two-state solution and in accordance with international law”.

Professor of Political Science at the Hashemite University Jamal Shalabi told The Jordan Times in a phone interview that Jordan is “perhaps the only one in the region that has been lobbying efforts against various Israeli violations since before the annexation”.

The Kingdom voiced its rejection of the step to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, and then “immediately formulated a diplomatic plan guided by His Majesty King Abdullah's vision”, Shalabi said.

“His Majesty has succeeded in delivering his message to the European Union and the world of the repercussions that the annexation will have on Jordan as well as the world,” he added.

Former minister Samih Maaytah also told The Jordan Times that “Jordan's effort to confront the occupation entity's plan to annex parts of the West Bank has been clear since the occupation announced its intentions in this matter”.

This effort, he said, was to mobilise an Arab and international response, and this was done by conducting speeches focused on highlighting the danger of this path to the real peace process and the rights of the Palestinian people.

Maaytah noted that, through His Majesty and his speeches to international media, a message to the occupation entity was sent warning of the repercussions of implementing this step on the peace treaty and all parts of the Jordanian-Israeli relationship.

“On a similar note, the Jordanian effort was directed towards the US decision-making institutions, which are considered the primary supporters of Israeli policies, and also the most capable of deterring Israel from the annexation decision if they wanted,” added the former minister.

According to statements broadcast on Israeli radio, Israel announced that it has not yet set a plan to annex West Bank settlements.

“Israel and Jordan are now both in a race with time. Israel is trying to commence with the annexation before their supporter in the White House — Mr Trump — is out of office. Jordan, on the other hand, is trying to delay it in hopes of a more supportive stance in the White House,” concluded Shalabi.