Jordanians are feeling a certain sense of pride following King Abdullah’s recent visit to Washington, where he conferred with key administration and congressional officials and became the first Middle Eastern leader to meet with President Donald Trump. Although Abdullah's Feb. 2 meeting with Trump was brief, taking place on the sidelines of the annual National Prayer Breakfast, it covered an array of issues of particular importance to the Jordanian monarch and the region. The White House issued a statement in which it said that Trump had “conveyed the US’ commitment to Jordan’s stability, security and prosperity.” It added that the president had “highlighted Jordan’s critical contributions to defeating IS [Islamic State] and discussed the possibility of establishing safe zones in Syria.” In addition, it said, Trump “underscored that the United States is committed to strengthening the security and economic partnership with Jordan.” These expressions of commitment signaled the success of the royal visit in the eyes of the king and a majority of Jordanians.

A royal court statement quoted by the Jordan Times said the two leaders also discussed the Syrian crisis, reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and ways to boost their strategic partnership and work jointly to combat terrorism. The newspaper also reported, “The two leaders agreed to hold a summit meeting during an official visit King Abdullah will make to the US soon.”

Local media praised the king’s diplomatic breakthrough and one commentator, Fahd al-Khitan, wrote Feb. 2 in al-Ghad that Abdullah had fought a diplomatic battle in the US capital on behalf of all Arabs. He also noted that the Jordanian monarch had met the US president even before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done so. A number of Amman dailies pointed to a Feb. 2 New York Times article in which the authors credited Abdullah for a shift in Trump’s policy on the construction of new Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories.

In regard to the settlements, on the day of the Abdullah-Trump meeting, the White House issued a statement described by some as a warning to Israel after announcements of new approvals for settlement construction on the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem. The statement read, “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”