Jordan’s king says East Jerusalem must be capital of Palestinian state

Monday, 22 January 2018 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jordan’s King Abdullah and wife Queen Rania are seen during their meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence and wife Karen Pence (not pictured) at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan 21 January 2018 - Reuters

Amman (Reuters): Jordan’s King Abdullah expressed concern on Sunday over a decision by Washington to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying East Jerusalem had to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

In remarks during talks with US Vice Mike Pence in Amman, the king said the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a two-state one.

Jordan lost East Jerusalem and the West Bank to Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

US endorsement of Israel’s claim to Jerusalem as its capital broke with decades of US policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

King Abdullah said the US move would fuel radicalism and inflame Muslim and Christian tensions.

“For us, Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians, as it is to Jews. It is key to peace in the region and key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of our root causes of radicalisation,” he said.