King Abdullah II to US Jews: Peace Delay Israel's Fault

The Jordinian state news agency Petra says His Majesty King Abdullah II told a delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CPMAJO on Tuesday that Israel's unilateral policies, including measures to change the identity of Jerusalem and threaten its holy sites, constitute a major obstacle to resumption of peace efforts.

The King, who reviewed efforts to bring about peace between Palestinians and Israel, told the Royal Court audience that Jordan would continue in its endeavor to assist the sides to go back to the negotiating table.

The Kingdom, he pledged, would work with the other parties in the world community to overcome hurdles blocking realisation of the two-state solution, a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel.

During the meeting, attended by the King's advisers, His Majesty emphasised that the United States should remain involved in efforts to arrive at a comprehensive peace that fulfills the rights of all parties and safeguards the region's security and stability.

Failure to make headway in peace efforts, the King warned, would exacerbate tension in a region where some countries have been witnessing unprecedented political transformations.

The great kingdom of Jordan is no stranger to peace obstacles:

On September 16, 1970, His Majesty's late father King Hussein sent the 60th Armored Brigade of the Jordanian Army to attack the headquarters of Palestinian organizations in Amman; the army also attacked camps in Irbid, Salt, Sweileh, Baq'aa, Wehdat and Zarqa. The PLO later claimed that the Jordanian army killed between 10,000 and 25,000 Palestinians.