Jordan’s King Abdullah II Meets with Israel’s Herzog in Amman

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (DPA)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (DPA)
TT
20

Jordan’s King Abdullah II Meets with Israel’s Herzog in Amman

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (DPA)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (DPA)

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II this week at his palace in Amman, the president’s office announced in a statement on Wednesday.

“During the warm meeting, held at king Abdullah's invitation, the President and the king discussed deep strategic issues, at both bilateral and regional levels,” the statement read.

The two leaders discussed maintaining stable bilateral ties and “the need for dialogue with all actors in the region.”

The meeting took place ahead of US President Joe Biden's visit to the region and at a time of increasing talk of security cooperation between Israel and Arab countries.

Herzog’s office said that the visit had been coordinated with the Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s offices, among other offices.

Jordanian officials told Channel 12 that the visit is “important” as it was held ahead of key developments in the region.

“It also comes in the wake of a series of visits that bolstered Jordanian-Israeli relations,” they said.

Earlier this week, Jordanian King held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.

Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting carried a Jordanian affirmation that any political developments in the region would not be at the expense of the Palestinians.

The two sides agreed that the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is through the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abdullah II and Abbas also said that the next step required is to cease unilateral measures to open the way to resuming negotiations in the future.

Amman is in constant communication with Washington and is working to have the Palestinian cause at the top of Biden’s agenda during his visit to the region next month, Abdullah II said.

King Abdullah will attend a Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan with Biden in Jeddah.

Biden is expected to meet with Abbas in Bethlehem, as well as with Israeli officials in Israel.

Palestinian sources said that during his meeting with the US President next month, Abbas plans to ask for US pressure on Israel to make it stop unilateral actions, push the peace process forward, reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem, reopen the Palestinian Liberation Office in Washington, and remove the organization from the terrorism list.



Lebanon to Seek US Guarantees in Response to Proposal

US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack in Lebanon last week (Reuters)
US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack in Lebanon last week (Reuters)
TT
20

Lebanon to Seek US Guarantees in Response to Proposal

US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack in Lebanon last week (Reuters)
US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack in Lebanon last week (Reuters)

Lebanon plans to seek assurances from Washington on the implementation of any future deal involving Hezbollah’s disarmament, Lebanese political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, ahead of a visit by US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack early next week.

The question of US guarantees tops Lebanon’s concerns, which are shared not only by Hezbollah but also by the Lebanese state, the sources said.

The issue is central to the discussions of a tripartite Lebanese committee that includes representatives of President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meeting regularly at the presidential palace to draft a unified response to a US proposal.

In parallel, the Quintet group - comprising the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar - met at the US embassy in Beirut to discuss the situation, local media reported.

Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari was absent from the talks, reportedly due to travel.

According to the sources, Barrack’s visit is not solely to receive Lebanon’s response to the US proposal, but also to hold further consultations with the country’s top leaders.

The US paper outlines a phased plan prioritizing the disarmament of Hezbollah, delineation of Lebanon’s land border with Syria, and the implementation of long-delayed financial, economic, and administrative reforms.

“Lebanon views the proposal as the basis for negotiations, not a surrender document,” the sources said, noting that the primary demand to be raised will be related to binding US guarantees.

They cited the bitter experience that followed the previous ceasefire deal, after which Israel allegedly continued attacks, held on to five disputed points in southern Lebanon, and hindered the return of displaced residents—all while international aid for reconstruction failed to materialize.

“The committee is meeting almost daily,” one source said. “There is consensus on the need for an Israeli withdrawal from occupied points and an end to violations as a prerequisite for any deal. These are sovereign principles Lebanon will not abandon.”

Despite Hezbollah’s public resistance to disarmament, sources described the group’s current stance as “constructive.”

Hezbollah is said to be engaging in discussions through the state’s official channels, with party officials expressing concern over the absence of international guarantees and the risk of being sidelined politically once it gives up its arms.

“There are internal concerns that Hezbollah could be pushed out of political life, especially after talks around electoral law reforms,” one source said.

These fears are compounded by delays in international aid, reconstruction plans, and continued Israeli violations—issues that have persisted since the ceasefire in November.

On Wednesday night, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated the party’s rejection of “any threat of force or foreign meddling,” and insisted that Hezbollah would not “surrender land or weapons to the Israeli enemy” or compromise on its rights.

Qassem also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire more than 3,700 times, while the international community “watches silently, calling only for concessions.” He said Hezbollah would continue to resist, as it has done for decades.

A senior Hezbollah lawmaker said the group remains open to cooperating on strengthening the Lebanese state and restoring its authority across the country—provided Israel withdraws from disputed southern points and halts its ongoing violations.

MP Ali Fayyad, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said the group “has consistently shown a positive willingness to cooperate in all matters related to state-building, institutional reform, and improving operational capacities to help achieve the desired stability.”

Speaking on Thursday, Fayyad added: “This includes supporting the state in extending its authority over all Lebanese territory and enabling it to carry out all its duties—chief among them the protection and defense of the people and sovereignty.” However, he warned, “None of this will be possible unless national efforts unite to achieve a key condition: Israel must withdraw from the five occupied positions it still holds, end its continued violations, and respect Lebanese sovereignty.”

Fayyad’s comments came amid a broader debate on the future of Hezbollah’s weapons and its role within the state.

Opposition lawmaker Fadi Karam from the Lebanese Forces party slammed Hezbollah’s rhetoric in a post on X.

Addressing Hezbollah’s Qassem, he wrote: “Your weapons have destroyed Lebanon and continue to give Israel an excuse to remain on our land. You’ve tied Lebanon to Iran. And now you claim that handing over your weapons to the Lebanese Army means handing them to Israel? That’s delusional and only exposes Lebanon to new wars.”

The statements reflect widening divisions over Hezbollah’s future role and the path toward national sovereignty and stability, as Lebanon grapples with US-led proposals aimed at de-escalating tensions and launching long-delayed reforms.