King Abdallah’s Ramallah visit likely to focus on East Jerusalem

Palestinian worshippers attend noon prayers near the Dome of the Rock mosque in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday. (AFP)

AMMAN: King Abdallah of Jordan will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday on his first visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah in five years — a move which has taken many by surprise. Indeed, analysts say the king’s visit will be the first to the occupied territories by any Arab head of state in that time.
Abbas had been scheduled to travel to Amman on Tuesday. That trip has now been canceled.
Jordan intervened last month to help resolve a crisis over access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Jordan is the formal custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites.
Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, said that the visit is connected to the recent events at Al-Aqsa.
“It is very important that Palestinians and Jordanians coordinate their next steps in following up the popular success in Jerusalem, to ensure that the people of the city are empowered.”
Close relationship
Hamadeh Faraneh, a former member of the Jordanian Parliament and current member of the Palestinian National Council, told Arab News that he expected the visit to have two different impacts.
“It will be a chance for the king to visit the president, who had a small health issue last week. It is also a signal to Jordanians about the close relationship with Palestine after the events in Al-Aqsa and the problems at the embassy.”
Omar Kullab, a leading columnist in Jordan’s Ad Dustour, however, has a different take on the king’s last-minute decision to visit Ramallah, believing the visit is intended to make an impact on Israel.
Jordan has been increasing pressure on Israel to take action over the deaths of two Jordanians at the hand of an Israeli embassy guard in Amman.
“Jordan, at the highest level, has said it wants Israel to apologize for what happened, to express condolences for the deaths of the Jordanian citizens, and to ensure that a proper trial takes place for the Israeli security guard,” Kullab told Arab News.
“Israel takes notice when an Arab helicopter lands in Ramallah’s muqata (Palestinian headquarters),” he added.