Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met in London on Thursday with a senior advisor to King Abdullah II of Jordan as relations between the two countries were at an “all-time low”.
Sources in Tel Aviv revealed that Rivlin had requested during his meeting with Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed a visit the Kingdom in order to open a new chapter in relations and push forward joint projects with Amman.
Informed sources said the meeting took place on the sidelines of the Israeli president’s visit to London. Discussions with the Jordanian official tackled numerous issues, including the development of Christian holy sites along the Jordan River, which flows along the border between the two countries.
They added that Rivlin requested a visit to Jordan because he places “great importance” on improving relations with Amman and resolving disputes with it in order to move forward with joint projects.
The London meeting appeared to be planned in advance as Rivlin brought with him as a gift a gilded copy of the holy Quran, translated into Hebrew. The president’s father had famously translated the Quran.
King Abdullah had held talks in the United States last week with several Jewish leaders, complaining to them about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and provocations in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
He said relations between Jordan and Israel were at an “all-time low”
“Part of it is internal [Israeli] politics – I understand that – but not at the expense of something that my father [King Hussein] and the late prime minister [Yitzhak] Rabin fought so hard to achieve,” he stated.
He hoped that Israel would resolve its issues in order for “us to return to focusing on negotiations with the Palestinians.”
