Jordan is preparing itself for a possible breakthrough in the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry. According to sources, Amman expects the United States to unveil a “framework proposal” before the end of January. Chief of the Royal Court Fayez al-Tarawneh met with journalists last week to brief them on Jordan’s stand on final status negotiations, especially on refugees, Jerusalem and the borders. The meeting was off the record, but one of the columnists attending told Al-Monitor that Tarawneh wanted to emphasize Jordan’s position ahead of local and regional reactions to the proposed deal.
The deal could still fall through if Israel’s Knesset approves a draft law proposed by a government subcommittee on Sunday to annex the strategically vital Jordan Valley, which comprises 25% of the total area of the West Bank. It is not clear how Jordan will react to such a development, which would surely derail peace talks and undermine the two-state solution. Former Prime Minister Taher al-Masri told Al-Monitor, “A just solution to the Palestinian problem is in Jordan’s best interests.” He added that Jordan has the largest number of Palestinian refugees, and therefore it wants to protect their right of return. Masri said that Jordan rejects any solution that allows Israel to maintain borders along the Jordan Valley. He added that Jordan has a vested interest in being close to the bilateral negotiation table between Israel and the Palestinians.