Israel settlements thwart 2-state solution: Jordan king

By Laith Joneidi

AMMAN

Jordanian King Abdullah II has reiterated his opposition to Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, describing the trend as “an obstacle standing in the way of a two-state solution”.

The king made the remarks in a Wednesday message directed to the UN’s Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

“Resolving the issue of Palestine is the key to achieving peace and stability in the Middle East,” he said.

King Abdullah also stressed his country's commitment to preserving Jerusalem’s historical Arab, Muslim and Christian identity and the Hashemite custodianship over the city’s Muslim and Christian holy sites.

He delivered his message on the eve of the UN’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which is marked each year on Nov. 29.

“Jordan will continue to exert all efforts to counter any attempt to impose a new reality [in Jerusalem] or change its historical and legal status," the king said.