The US peace plan announced in the White House Jan. 28 has not only unified the Palestinians, but appears to have cemented Jordanian-Palestinian relations that in the past went through some rocky ups and downs. As he was delivering his scathing criticism to the US plan at the Arab League foreign ministers meeting Feb. 1, President Mahmoud Abbas turned to the Jordanian foreign minister. As he rephrased the plan’s restrictions on Palestinian sovereignty over the crossing points, Abbas looked at Ayman Safadi and commented jokingly using the first name of the minister, “What do you think Ayman, will we need Israeli permission to visit you in Jordan according to this plan?”
Abbas Zaki, a member of the Fatah Central Committee responsible for relations with the Arab world, told Al-Monitor that the Jordanian position to the plan has been great. “Jordan’s position has been great; the official and popular positions have been supportive of Palestinian rights and we appreciate that.”
