King Abdullah: Alternative homeland for Palestinian state is an 'illusion'

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has described the idea of there being an alternative homeland for the Palestinians in Jordan as an “illusion”, according to the official Jordanian news agency Petra.

During a meeting with a host of Jordanian officials, the King asked: “When we will stop hearing this discourse?” He continued: “I have said and I would like to say again: Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine and nothing but that, not in the past or the future.”

Regarding the parties and mass media that are spreading this idea that Jordan is an alternative state for the Palestinians, the King said that it amounts to “sedition”. He also noted that this idea always comes up whenever there is a serious effort towards resolving the Palestinian issue.

King Abdullah stressed that there are several issues more important to Jordan than this idea, saying that: “There are more important issues to focus on, especially with regards to political and economic reform. What we should do is to work as a team until we work out our internal issues.”

Regarding the Palestinian issue, the King stated that his country is informed about everything related to the current negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, including the final status issues of Jerusalem, the refugees, borders, water and security.