After meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, Meshaal says talk of a confederation now is unacceptable

Jordan’s King Abdullah II received Chief of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal and the delegation accompanying him on Monday. He emphasized that supporting Palestinian national reconciliation efforts is key to enhancing the unity of the Palestinians and enabling them to regain their rights.

The King also stated, in a meeting attended by Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, that the UN recognition as a non-member observer state achieved by Palestine is an essential step on the road to the restoration of Palestinian rights, especially their right to establish an independent state in their land.

In a related matter, the King also stressed during the meeting that Jordan continues to honour its responsibility towards its Palestinian brothers to alleviate their suffering by providing as much assistance as possible.

On his part, Meshaal expressed his appreciation for the effort made by the King to support the struggle of the Palestinian people. He specifically noted the services provided by the Jordanian Military Field Hospital in the Gaza Strip, as well as the King’s various initiatives and support of the reconstruction projects in Jerusalem.

The Hamas leader said that his movement was keen on doing everything possible to strengthen the unity and cohesion of the Palestinian people and advance their cause. He emphasised that Hamas firmly rejects all proposals of an alternative homeland, and affirms the right of the Palestinians to regain their full rights.

The meeting was also attended by Director of the Office of the King, Imad Fakhoury, and Hamas’ Political Bureau members Mohammad Nazzal and Mohammed Nasr.

In a statement made to reporters after the meeting, Meshaal said, “There is a high degree of understanding and agreement and we are keen on further coordination with the Jordanian authorities.”

He added that the main topic of the meeting was the Palestinian cause and its future, especially in the wake of the Israeli and U.S elections and the current stalemate in negotiations.

On the issue of Palestinian reconciliation, Meshaal confirmed that the Egyptian- sponsored efforts are progressing at a good pace, “and our advances in Cairo during the past few weeks have been excellent, especially due to the importance given to the matter by President Mohammad Morsi. We have set a timetable for the steps to be taken in the coming weeks and months for five issues; the government, the PLO, elections, public freedoms, and community reconciliation.

Mr Meshaal further expressed his optimism towards the Palestinian reconciliation, emphasizing the importance of Jordan’s role, led by the King. He said, “The international community must respect the needs of the Palestinians to end the division.”

He added that the Jordanian-Palestinian relationship is historically recognized, and “We are dedicated to integration and coordination, but there must be respect for the peculiarity of each case; Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine, and any talk about the relationship between the state of Jordan and the state of Palestine is after the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian land, and then we’ll consider the dynamics of the relationship.”

Mr Meshaal concluded saying, “Talk of a confederation now, before the establishment of a Palestinian state is unacceptable. We are for establishing a Palestinian State on our land first, and then we will discuss a relationship that serves the interests of Jordan and the interests of Palestine.”