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Prime Minister Olmert to meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II on Thursday (AP file)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners June 7, 2006 |
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King Abdullah II of Jordan said in an interview published Wednesday that he opposes Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's unilateral withdrawal plans from large parts of Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank".) Jordan's king also issued a stern warning, saying that his nation will never be a substitute homeland for the Palestinians.
It was not immediately clear why Abdullah has raised this issue, but there has been mounting Jordanian concern that stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations and Olmert's plan to unilaterally draw Israeli borders with the West Bank could evict more desperate Palestinians and drive them into neighboring Jordan.
Olmert will meet the king in Amman on Thursday. The trip is part of Olmert's inaugural meetings with world leaders following his election in March.
Olmert has said he will carry out a unilateral withdrawal from parts of the West Bank if peace efforts fail -- an increasingly likely scenario following formation of the Hamas-led Palestinian government. The withdrawal would fall short of Palestinian claims to all of the West Bank as part of an independent state.
"I am definitely concerned about the unilateral plan," Abdullah said in an interview with Yediot Ahronot. "A unilateral step by Israel would raise question marks and a sense of insecurity not only among the Palestinians, but among all the partners of peace in the region."
In the interview, Abdullah also pledged his support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' call for a national referendum on a document drafted by Palestinian prisoners that implies recognition of Israel. Abbas has urged Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, to accept the plan as a way to help restart peace talks.
"The Palestinians are now searching for a breakthrough, a way to sit down at the negotiation table with Israel, and therefore, in my opinion the referendum is a good opportunity to reach a consensus on their side, because ultimately we need Palestinian unity in order to promote peace initiatives," he said.
The Palestinian document was formulated by senior prisoners held by Israel from both Abbas' Fatah party and Islamic militant Hamas. Prisoners hold great weight in Palestinian society. But Hamas' exiled leadership, which has the final say in policy decisions, has refused to endorse the plan.
Israel also opposes key elements of the 18-point document, but is staying on the sidelines during the internal Palestinian debate. The document calls for return of millions of Palestinians -- refugees from the 1948-49 war that followed Israel's creation and their descendants -- to their original homes in Israel, a demand Israel rejects.
Olmert's trip to Jordan comes on the heels of his meeting Sunday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheik. The Israeli prime minister has said he is ready to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to explore a resumption of peace talks.
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