Jordan urges Israel to engage in direct, serious talks
Amman, Aug 14 (IANS) Jordan has urged Israel to engage in direct and serious talks after a historic peace deal was announced between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel brokered by US President Donald Trump.
The remarks were made on Thursday by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who said Israel has to choose either the just peace that ends the occupation and resort to the two-state solution or continuing the conflict that is exacerbated by Israel’s violations to the legitimate Palestinian rights, reports Xinhua news agency.
Safadi said that the deal would be associated with Israel’s actions in the post-agreement period.
He said that if Israel deals with the agreement as a means to end the occupation and meet the Palestinians’ rights to freedom and a viable and independent state along the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, the region will move ahead towards realizing peace.
Otherwise, Israel will deepen the conflicts that will jeopardize the entire region’s security.
The minister said that Israel’s decision to freeze the annexation of Palestinian lands mentioned in the agreement with the UAE has to be followed by stopping its illegitimate procedures.
He said that the freezing decision must be immediately followed by embarking on direct, serious, and effective negotiations to realize peace according to the two-state solution, the international law, and the Arab peace initiative.
The just and comprehensive peace constitutes an Arab strategic option and importance for the regional and international peace and security, he said, which will never be attained as long as the occupation exists and Israel persists on its policies that kill the two-state solution and blow the pillars of the peace process.
He also reiterated that the region is on a crossroad currently, either a peace that ends the occupation and meets all the legitimate rights of Palestinians, or a conflict.
He said that Jordan supports any real efforts that can contribute to realizing just and comprehensive peace.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.
The agreement on Thursday took place via a phone call between Trump, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE.
As part of the agreement, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in Trump’s vision of peace and focus its efforts now on expanding its ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.
The UAE and Israel will also immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for coronavirus.
According to reports, this is the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country in 25 years.
–IANS
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