Crown prince’s Jordan visit ‘to bolster economic, political cooperation, Arab unity’

Jordan's King Abdullah II (C) and his son Crown Prince Hussein (2nd-R) receiving Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Queen Alia International Airport on the southern outskirts of Jordan's capital Amman on June 21, 2022. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 22 June 2022
Follow

Crown prince’s Jordan visit ‘to bolster economic, political cooperation, Arab unity’

  • An EU-style common market, talks on Palestine, Israel and Iran, vital for regional growth and security, say officials
  • ‘Saudi leader’s tour critical ahead of Jeddah summit meeting with US President Joe Biden’

AMMAN: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Jordan trip will bolster economic and political cooperation vital to Arab unity, and is particularly important ahead of the regional meeting with US President Joe Biden, according to former Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Mamdouh Al-Abadi.

“This is the first round of visits by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which will be followed up with meetings with leaders in the Jeddah summit with US President Biden,” he told Arab News.

Al-Abadi’s remarks came during the crown prince’s foreign tour. Prince Mohammed landed in Amman on Tuesday evening after visiting Egypt and before heading to Turkey. The tour is aimed at coordinating regional issues prior to the summit in Jeddah between regional Arab leaders and Biden.

 

 

Al-Abadi, who served as one of the most popular and effective members of parliament and as the mayor of Amman, was the deputy prime minister in the Hani Mulki government, and is credited with carrying out important reforms in Jordan. As a veteran politician, he understands the value of face-to-face meetings.

“When leaders meet face to face without filters and others intervening, it allows for a more direct opportunity to agree on priorities of mutual interest,” he explained.

Economic issues are the current priority for Jordan, according to Al-Abadi. “Our relations with Gulf countries are usually focused on economic cooperation, with political issues playing a lower role,” he said.

Infrastructure projects such as railroads are critically in need of support, Al-Abadi remarked. “Transport is a big problem around the world but in Jordan, our problem is that the population … has increased quickly because of the Syrian crisis.” Of the 10 million people living in the country, only 6.5 million are Jordanians, he said.

“The increase happened at a much quicker pace than we were able to deal with,” said Al-Abadi. “We had an effective railroad system during the Ottoman period, and now we need to revisit this important means of transportation both for local and regional cooperation and the ability of easily moving people and goods.”

Politically, Al-Abadi predicted that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would not be a priority in the current round of talks. Al-Abadi calls himself a pan-Arabist, adding that Palestine is a unifying issue for Arabs. “For me Palestine is the key. I support everyone who supports Palestine.”

 

 

According to Al-Abadi, it is not clear “whether they will agree on having Israel be part of the coalition against Iran, or whether the emphasis will be solely on helping US President Biden in his domestic problems, especially the need to increase production of oil in order to stem the results of the rise in gasoline prices in the United States.”

Al-Abadi spoke candidly to Arab News about the strengths and weaknesses of Jordan. “Our balanced foreign policy is effective and efficient, but we need help in having similar success in our domestic issues, especially in terms of our economy.”

On the subject of inter-Arab trade, Abadi explained that “we buy less than 10 percent from each other. We should all be buying more Saudi and Egyptian and Jordanian and Palestinian … products. We need a common market. Why is Europe which had world wars and has different languages and cultures able to have a common market, while we talk but do nothing to make it happen?”




Former Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Mamdouh Al-Abadi. (Supplied)

Jordan, similar to its Saudi neighbor, is in the process of implementing new modernizing reforms. As the country begins to apply recommendations of the Royal Commission on Political Modernization, which will see the country run by a government consisting of elected parties, Al-Abadi is concerned that “no restrictions will be placed on the choices that the elected government will decide on.”

Al-Abadi, though, is certain that Arab unity is a vital goal. “A vacuum invites outside parties to intervene in our affairs; if we unite, our individual countries will be stronger and collectively we can be stronger.”

He remains confident Jordan and Saudi Arabia would be able to forge ahead after the crown prince’s visit to Jordan. “It is important that this ice-breaking visit is followed up by more visits in both directions. Our unity as Arabs is the most important weapon we have, and we need to strengthen our home front as Arabs to defend ourselves from external forces.”

Jordanian Senator Mohammad Momani also sees the bilateral and regional significance of the crown prince’s visit. “On the bilateral level, different files are due to be discussed, including investment, transportation energy, and other bilateral issues. All of them will be discussed directly and frankly by officials from both countries,” he told Arab News.

Momani, who served as the Jordanian minister of media affairs in successive past governments, highlighted the depth of the two countries’ relationship. “Needless to say, the relationship is very deep. Jordan sees eye to eye with Saudi Arabia and the Saudis see the importance of Jordan in regional and international issues,” he explained.




Senator Mohammad Momani. (Supplied)

“We have the same positions on the importance of a strategic alliance,” he continued, adding that “our common history in the area and our friendly brotherly relationship are the cornerstones of the discussions on the bilateral level.”

On the regional level, Momani believes that the discussions will include talks about the Palestinian issue, and the need for a significant push for the peace process which is crucial for regional stability and security. He added that “the issue of Iran will certainly be discussed and opinions will be honestly exchanged.”

He said it was important to have talks on critical issues because of the upcoming regional gathering with Biden, “and so it is extremely significant to have that discussion ahead of the summit to coordinate positions beforehand.”

“Jordan is committed to peace and security and is committed to using its status to defend Arab positions; we have done that before and we will continue to do that. His Majesty King Abdullah will use his ability and contacts to support our closest allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.”


Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa

  • SANA did not provide further details about the reported incident or its origins

DAMASCUS: Syria’s Ministry of Information on Sunday denied reports that an attempt was made on the life of interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa during a recent visit to the southern city of Daraa.

A ministry source, quoted by state news agency SANA on Sunday, dismissed the claims as false, saying: “What was circulated by several media outlets about the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish intelligence foiling an assassination attempt on President Ahmad Al-Sharaa during his visit to Daraa is untrue.”

SANA did not provide further details about the reported incident or its origins.

Al-Sharaa has led Syria’s transitional administration since January, following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime. Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly a quarter of a century and fled to Russia in December.


Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank

Updated 52 min 38 sec ago
Follow

Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank

HEBRON: Israel’s security service said Sunday it had broken up a network of Hamas militants in the occupied West Bank suspected of planning attacks, arresting 60 of the group’s members.
The Shin Bet internal security agency said in a statement that “a significant, complex, and large-scale Hamas infrastructure was exposed” in the West Bank town of Hebron.
It said it broke up 10 militant cells that “operated to carry out attacks in various formats in the immediate time frame.”
Hamas leaders “worked to recruit, arm, and train additional Hamas operatives from the area to carry out shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli targets,” according to the statement.
Shin Bet said the three-month joint operation with the military and police was its biggest investigation in the West Bank “in the past decade.”
It said terrorism charges were being filed against the suspects.
Hamas did not immediately comment on the statement.


US embassy in Bahrain returns to normal operations

Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

US embassy in Bahrain returns to normal operations

The US Embassy in Bahrain said on Sunday that it has returned to normal staffing and operations, according to a post by the embassy on X.
Shortly before this month’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the US military had allowed families of service members in Bahrain to depart the country temporarily.


Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 17, including children

Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 17, including children

  • The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory’s north
  • Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians

Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 17 people including three children in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that 16 people died in air strikes at five locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution center.

The Israeli military said it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting “to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” in a campaign launched in 2023 against the Islamist militant group whose attack on Israel triggered the war.

Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers.

Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City’s Zeitun neighborhood in the early morning, and “the house was completely destroyed.”

A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, said he was at home and “heard a huge explosion at my relative’s house.”

“I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire,” he added.

“We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs — two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop,” Azzam said.

“They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.”

Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed five people including a child.

He said that other casualties included a young man killed “by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid” near a humanitarian distribution center in the southern city of Rafah.

The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory’s north, warning of imminent action there.

The military “will operate with intense force in these areas, and these military operations will intensify and expand... to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organizations,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on X.

He told residents to “evacuate immediately south” to Al-Mawasi area on the coast.

The civil defense agency later said an Israeli air strike hit a house in Gaza City, killing three people.

Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 in response to the deadly Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.

After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages.


Trump calls for deal on Gaza war as signs of progress emerge

Updated 29 June 2025
Follow

Trump calls for deal on Gaza war as signs of progress emerge

  • ‘MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!’ Trump wrote on his social media platform
  • The Israeli military on Sunday ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians in large swathes of northern Gaza

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump on Sunday pleaded for progress in ceasefire talks in the war in Gaza, calling for a deal that would halt the fighting in the 20-monthlong conflict as the sides appeared to be inching closer to an agreement.

An Israeli official said plans were being made for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks, a sign there may be movement on a new deal. The official declined to discuss the focus of the visit and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not yet been finalized.

“MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social early Sunday between posts about a Senate vote on his tax and spending cuts bill.

Trump raised expectations Friday for a deal, saying there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters, he said, “We’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.”

Trump has repeatedly called for Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. Despite an eight-week ceasefire reached just as Trump was taking office earlier this year, attempts since then to bring the sides toward a new agreement have failed.

A top adviser to Netanyahu, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, was set to travel to Washington this week for talks on a ceasefire.

Trump post slams Netanyahu corruption trial

The Gaza message wasn’t the only Middle East-related post by Trump. On Saturday evening, he doubled down on his criticism of the legal proceedings against Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, calling it “a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure.”

In the post on Truth Social, he said the trial interfered with talks on a Gaza ceasefire.

“(Netanyahu) is right now in the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back. How is it possible that the Prime Minister of Israel can be forced to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING,” Trump wrote.

The post echoed similar remarks Trump made last week when he called for the trial to be canceled. It was a dramatic interference by an international ally in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. And it unnerved many in Israel, despite Trump’s popularity in the country.

Israeli military orders new evacuations in northern Gaza

The Israeli military on Sunday ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians in large swathes of northern Gaza, an early target of the war that has been severely damaged by multiple rounds of fighting.

Col. Avichay Adraee, a military spokesperson, posted the order on social media. It includes multiple neighborhoods in eastern and northern Gaza City, as well as Jabaliya refugee camp.

The military will expand its escalating attacks to the city’s northern section, calling for people to move southward to the Muwasi area in southern Gaza, Adraee said.

After being all but emptied earlier in the war, hundreds of thousands of people are in northern Gaza following their return during a ceasefire earlier this year.

An Israeli military offensive currently underway aims to move Palestinians to southern Gaza so forces can more freely operate to combat militants. Rights groups say their movement would amount to forcible transfer.

A sticking point over how the war ends

The war in Gaza began with Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in which militants killed 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages, about 50 of whom remain captive with less than half believed to be alive.

Israel’s retaliatory response has killed more than 56,000 people, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between militants and civilians in their count but say more than half of the dead are women and children.

The war has set off a humanitarian catastrophe, displaced most of Gaza’s population, often multiple times, and obliterated much of the territory’s urban landscape.

Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over one major sticking point, whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement.

Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war. Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas disarms and goes into exile, something the group refuses.