Abbas meets King Abdullah to discuss US embassy move

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and met Jordanian King Abdullah II on Sunday in Amman to discuss a potential response to the proposed move of the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

According to a statement, Abbas described the meeting as “useful and necessary” and suggested that the issue of the US embassy was a significant one to Jordan and both Palestine, in particular because Jordan has a special role as administer for the holy Muslim sites in occupied East Jerusalem.

The statement said:

We wish two thing of the new American administration: First, to stop talks about moving the US embassy to Jerusalem; and second, to get involved in conducting serious negotiations between Palestine and Israel to reach a political solution which is for the best interest of Palestinians, Israelis and the whole region

Abbas said that the meeting was “useful and necessary” ahead of Abdullah II’s upcoming visits to Washington and Moscow.

The meeting was also attended by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary-General and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, Majid Faraj the head of the Palestinian Intelligence, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Palestinian advisor for diplomatic affairs Majdi Al-Khalidi, and Palestinian Ambassador to Jordan Atta Allah Khairi.

Trump’s campaign promise of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been met with applause by right-wing Israeli officials and strongly condemned by Palestinians and the international community.

The White House told reporters today that it was “at the very beginning” of discussions about moving the embassy.

King Abdullah is due to meet with Trump soon.