Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, greets Jordanian King Abdallah II as the latter arrived in Ramallah on Monday. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)
RAMALLAH, West Bank: Jordan’s King Abdallah II is paying a rare visit to the West Bank to show support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Monday’s trip comes as the two moderate leaders seek rapprochement with the Islamic militant Hamas and as Palestinians pursue statehood in a region riveted by the slide toward civil war in Syria and mounting unrest in Egypt.
Abbas is holding power-sharing talks this week with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, trying to end a political split caused by Hamas’ 2007 takeover of Gaza. Jordan expelled Hamas leaders from the country in 1999.
Abdallah, a critic of the deadlock in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, flew the short distance from his capital, Amman, by helicopter and went directly into talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abdallah is trying to open a new channel with Hamas following the rise in Jordan of Hamas’ parent movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, as part of anti-government protests sweeping the region.
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While apparently the King’s visit was to ‘promote Palestinian unity’ some rumors have it that in fact the reason for the visit was the opposite: to encourage Mahmud Abbas NOT to get closer to Gaza’s Hamas. Allah knows best…