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Jordan's King: Regional Security Cannot Be Achieved without a Palestinian State

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan ahead of a meeting in Ramallah in the West Bank, on March 28, 2022. (AFP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan ahead of a meeting in Ramallah in the West Bank, on March 28, 2022. (AFP)
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Jordan's King: Regional Security Cannot Be Achieved without a Palestinian State

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan ahead of a meeting in Ramallah in the West Bank, on March 28, 2022. (AFP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan ahead of a meeting in Ramallah in the West Bank, on March 28, 2022. (AFP)

Jordan's King Abdullah II assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Amman will always support Palestine, despite all challenges.

Meeting Abbas in Ramallah, King Abdullah asserted that security and stability could not be achieved in the region without just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

King Abdullah's visit to Ramallah is his first in five years amid rising tensions. He met Abbas after the latter met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who led a ministerial meeting in Israel that included his Egyptian, Emirati, Bahraini, Moroccan, and Israeli counterparts.

The King called for ending all unilateral Israeli measures, especially in Jerusalem, which undermines the prospects of achieving comprehensive and lasting peace, stressing that the goal is to have a Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security.

The monarch noted that Jordan would continue all efforts to preserve Jerusalem's historical and legal status quo and safeguard its Islamic and Christian holy sites under the Hashemite Custodianship.

During the talks, the monarch emphasized the importance of giving the Palestinian cause the required international momentum to avoid being eclipsed by other recent crises.

Abbas welcomed King Abdullah, who was accompanied by Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, saying: "We want to keep constant communication, whether through visits or contacts between us."

Abbas stressed that Jordan and Palestine share common interests, concerns, and hopes, underlining the importance of such visits.

He emphasized that "we never forget that the Jordanian position on the Palestinian issue is a Palestinian position, and we know that your Majesty's instructions that everything related to Palestine is not revised, but implemented immediately."

The meeting addressed recent developments in the Palestinian Territories and the need to maintain calm and stability, especially during the holy fasting month of Ramadan that begins in early April. They also stressed the importance of respecting the rights of Muslims to worship at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem without provocation or interference.

They discussed the importance of working with all sides to avoid any escalation that could undermine the prospects of achieving peace.

Talks also covered joint regional projects and means to allow Palestinian participation, especially in projects related to food security and mitigating the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis on the region.

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US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
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US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)

US Senators Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rand Paul introduced on Thursday a bill repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.

“The legislation reflects a growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction,” they said in a joint statement.

“Repealing the Caesar Act would end broad-based economic sanctions while preserving US tools to hold Syrian officials accountable,” it added.

The act was named after a defector from the Syrian army, who smuggled thousands of photos that document the torture and violations committed in Syrian prisons. It was designed to hold the Assad regime and its backers to account for their war crimes and human rights violations.

“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,” said Shaheen. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist. And for too long, the Syrian people have endured a devastating civil war to rid themselves of this oppression.”

“We can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy. Sustained diplomatic engagement can yield tremendous results,” she stressed.

“I look forward to working with Special Envoy Thomas Barrack to support the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, stability and security,” she added.

For his part, Paul said: “For years, I’ve opposed broad sanctions that hurt innocent people more than the regimes they target. While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians, fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace.”

Senator Rand Paul pauses to speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP)

“This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” he stated.

Matthew Levitt, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, said it was logical to end the Caesar Act after the reasons for its adoption are no more.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was enacted to tackle the grave human rights violations committed in the Assad regime’s prisons. With the ouster of the regime, there is no need to keep it in place.

Pressure

Meanwhile, Dr. Murhaf Ibrahim, head of the Alawite Association of the United States, said it was important to bolster Syrian-American ties on all levels, to lift sanctions and for the United States to display political and economic openness towards Syria.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that in order to boost these ties, they must align with American values related to diversity, democracy, decentralization in state management and respect of human rights.

So far, the government of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not committed to these principles, he stressed.

He called on the US Congress to hold the government to account over its pledges to address violations and hold their perpetrators responsible.

It must also review the political and constitutional measures it has taken so far and that have sparked criticism because they do not represent the entire Syrian population, he went on to say.

US Senator Jeanne Shaheen speaks during a press conference with fellow Democratic senators calling on the Trump administration to continue Medicare drug price negotiations on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 22, 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian-American lobby

Ahed al-Hendi, Senior Fellow at the Center for Peace Communications in Washington, underlined the importance of the legislation because it was issued by the Senate, which first enacted the Ceasar Act, not the president.

Action by the Congress demonstrates the existence of Syrian-American lobby that did not make do with pledges made by the American administration, he said. Rather, it is working hard to secure bipartisan support to turn President Donald Trump’s words in Riyadh into political and legislative action in Washington.

Even though the administration has still not shaped a clear policy on Syria, the removal of the Caesar Act will help open a new chapter in relations and deliver a clear message that the lifting of sanctions is a necessary step in Syria’s reconstruction, he added.

It will also underscore government efforts to consolidate civil peace, respect minorities and avert regional escalation, he said.

Syrian activist Ayman Abdelnour said the removal of the Caesar Act will no doubt revive Syria and push forward reconstruction efforts.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that lifting the sanctions will allow the American administration to assess the performance of the new Syrian government on the political, economic and social levels.