Jordan rejects US-proposed confederation with Palestine

By Laith Joneidi

AMMAN

Jordan rejected Sunday a U.S. proposal that allegedly calls for the creation of a confederation between Palestine and Jordan, saying it was impossible to join the kingdom with Palestine’s West Bank.

Jordanian government spokeswoman Jumana Ghuneimat told local media that joining Jordan with the Israeli-occupied West Bank was not a matter that is open for discussion, and it was “not possible”.

She added that Jordan’s stance, which she said supports a two-state solution regarding Palestine-Israel issue, was fixed and clear.

Also, the political wing of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Action Front (IAC) spokesman Murad al-Adailah told Anadolu Agency that formation of the confederation would cause Palestinians to lose their right to “retake their occupied lands”.

“The idea of confederation means Palestinian people to lose their right to liberate its occupied lands. This right can only be achieved by of all Palestinian lands,” Adaliah said.

He asserted that Jordanian people would not accept any solution that will put Palestinians’ rights at risk.

Earlier in the day, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the U.S. President Donald Trump's aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner and the U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt offered him the idea of establishing a Palestine-Jordanian confederation.

Speaking at a meeting with the non-governmental organization Peace Now in Ramallah, Abbas reportedly said he would accept the offer and asked if Israel would be a part of the proposed confederation.

Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said people of Palestine and Jordan were the ones to decide on the confederation, according to the official news agency WAFA.

He said that the idea of with Jordan has been on the agenda of Palestinian administration since 1984.

*Qays Abu Samra in Ramallah contributed to this story