Jordanian Minister of Information Amjad Adaileh said his country rejected Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank and the northern Dead Sea - known as the Jordan Valley.
Any such unilateral Israeli move is unacceptable and undermines the chances for achieving peace and stability in the region, the minister said, noting that ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict could only be achieved on the basis of a two-state solution.
Adaileh, who served as the King’s media adviser for several years, underlined the importance of supporting efforts and unifying positions for the establishment of “an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international legitimacy decisions and the outcome of the meetings of the Arab League.”
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister pointed to the diplomatic and political efforts of Jordan’s King Abdullah II to prevent Israel from going ahead with annexation.
As for the expected scenarios if Israel took its unilateral step, Adaileh stressed that Jordan’s position has always been based on protecting its national interests, adding that Tel Aviv’s plans, if implemented, would have catastrophic consequences on regional stability.
On a different note, the Jordanian minister said that his country has been able to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus through concerted official and popular efforts, and through the commitment to the measures that mitigated the pandemic's impact during the total lockdown.
While the health authorities have classified the level of the epidemic within the kingdom’s borders as “moderate risk”, Adaileh refused to consider that the outbreak has ended, warning against the spread of infections in significant numbers, if the measures were eased without maintaining public safety precautions.