Report: Defense minister Gantz to visit Jordan

Jordanian newspaper quotes western diplomats in Amman who are reportedly saying that Benny Gantz thinks he can assuage King Abdullah’s concerns ahead of Israel’s plans to extend sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and large parts of Judea and Samaria.

By Shahar Klaiman, ISRAEL HAYOM   06-09-2020 09:10

Israel's path to annexation is lined with legal thorns

Defense Minister Benny Gantz | File photo: EPA/Abir Sultan

Defense Minister and prime minister-designate Benny Gantz might soon be paying a special visit to Jordan, the Jordanian newspaper Al-Rai reported this week, quoting western diplomats in Amman.

According to the report, the diplomatic sources leaked that Gantz’s first action in the new government could be a visit to King Abdullah II. The goal of the visit would reportedly be to ease the king’s concerns about the planned declaration of sovereignty Israel plans to make on July 1, with US backing.

The report said that Gantz thinks he can improve the tense relations between Abdullah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also said that Jordan had limited options with which to counter an Israeli declaration of sovereignty, which is why Amman has resorted to threatening to revoke its peace treaty with Israel if Jerusalem proceeds with the unilateral move.

The report also said that Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has described the move to apply Israeli law in the Jordan Valley and the settlements in Judea and Samaria as a “true disaster” that could cause the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan to collapse.

June 9, 2020 | Comments »

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