Jordan calls for free Palestinian state

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has called on the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stick by his commitments and remove obstacles to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

During a telephone conversation that was initiated by the Israeli premier, the monarch emphasized the significance of “serious and effective negotiations” with the Palestinian Authority (PA) “in accordance with the agreed references,” said a royal court statement on Wednesday.

“The monarch underlined the need for translating the commitment to peace into a practical action by removing all obstacles that block the achievement of the two-state solution as the only way to achieve security and stability in the region,” read the statement.

Direct talks between Israel and the PA once again reached a deadlock after Tel Aviv refused to extend a moratorium on settlement constructions in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the occupied West Bank.

Israel seized East al-Quds along with the West Bank from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967, and later annexed it in flagrant defiance of calls from the international community.

Abdullah pointed out that the direct talks should lead to the establishment of “an independent Palestinian state that lives in peace with Israel.”

“The continuation of the present stalemate will jeopardize the region’s stability and security,” the monarch added.

In a parallel Jordanian effort, King Abdullah sent his Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to Ramallah on Thursday to hold talks with Palestinian leaders.