King of Jordan arrives in Ramallah for first visit of foreign leader since Palestine UN upgrade

Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived in Ramallah on Thursday for an official visit to Ramallah. His is the first visit of an Arab leader since Palestine gained non-member observer state status at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The King was received by the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at the presidential headquarters in the West Bank city. The two leaders inspected a military guard of honour while the Royal Jordanian and Palestinian national anthems were played.

---

According to Jordanian press reports, the visit of King Abdullah carried a strong message to the Israelis. “This confirms that Jordan stands alongside the state of Palestine, the Palestinian people and their national rights,” said one.

The monarch was last in Ramallah in November 2011 at a time when, coincidentally, Palestine was seeking full membership of the United Nations. That request was vetoed in the UN Security Council by the United States.