American Jewish Leaders Meet King Abdullah

By JTA February 21, 2012

A delegation of Jewish leaders met with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman.

The delegation, participants in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ annual meeting in Jerusalem, had a “remarkably candid and open exchange” with Abdullah, Presidents Conference Executive Vice Chairman Malcolm Hoenlein told JTA Tuesday evening by phone on a bus returning to Israel from Amman.

Hoenlein said the king expressed “appreciation” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for taking steps to help in “creating a climate in which negotiations [with the Palestinians] can move forward.”

The delegation expressed appreciation to the king for “the role he is playing in trying to bring the Palestinians to direct negotiations” with Israel, Hoenlein said.

Israeli and the Palestinian negotiators met five times in Jordan in January in an attempt to jump-start direct negotiations. The Palestinians have said they will not return to the negotiating table until Israel halts building in all settlements.

The king and Jewish leaders also discussed issues related to Syria and Iran, and reforms in Jordan, during the hourlong meeting, Hoenlein said.

The delegation of nearly 100 Jewish leaders also met with the Jordanian foreign minister and the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors to Jordan.

Hoenlein met with Abdullah a month ago in Washington and proposed the Amman meeting with Jewish leaders. The king was receptive to the idea and instructed his staff to work with the Presidents Conference.

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