Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan met on Tuesday to discuss issues, including Trump’s Gaza proposal, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ISIS and al-Qaeda, and economic cooperation.
The king and crown prince of Jordan arrived at the White House around noon Tuesday afternoon, where they attended a bilateral meeting and lunch with the president. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the meeting, which was the first official encounter between the King of Jordan and the President of the United States since Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire.
Trump greeted Abdullah outside the White House. After the king was met by the White House honor guard, Trump said of Abdullah, “He’s a great man.”
As he greeted Abdullah, the president took one brief question from the assembled press: a reporter asked whether Saturday was still Trump’s deadline for Hamas, and Trump responded, “Yes.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan released a statement after meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday saying that he opposes “the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.”
“I reaffirmed Jordan’s firm stance against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria),” Abdullah said in his statement.
“This is the unified Arab position,” he said. “Everyone’s priority should be the reconstruction of Gaza without displacing its people and addressing the difficult humanitarian situation in the Strip.”
Abdullah said that a “just peace” had to be based on “a two-state solution” and nothing else, warning that it was the “only way to achieve stability in the region, and this requires the leading role of the United States.”
“President Trump is a man of peace and played a pivotal role in reaching the ceasefire in Gaza,” he said. “We look forward to the continued efforts of the United States and all parties to solidify the ceasefire.”
The White House Office of Communications released a statement on the meeting:
Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan held a warm and productive working meeting at the White House. King Abdullah congratulated President Trump on his very successful first weeks in office, and thanked the President for his leadership in securing the release of hostages from Gaza and a temporary pause in hostilities. The President affirmed the strength of relations between the United States and Jordan, and thanked His Majesty for the Kingdom’s longstanding commitment to promoting and advancing regional peace.
President Trump and King Abdullah also discussed the situation in Gaza. The President reiterated that Hamas must release all hostages, including all Americans, by Saturday, and asked for the King’s assistance in ensuring that Hamas, as well as the leaders of the region, understand the severity of the situation.
The two leaders also discussed the President’s goal of ensuring that Gaza is rebuilt beautifully after the conflict ends, and providing options for the people of Gaza that allow them to live in security and dignity, and free of Hamas’s tyranny.
