Protesters hold Palestinian flags during a demonstration near the American embassy in Amman last week [Muhammad Hamed/Reuters]

by Ali Younes, AL JAZEERA

Protesters hold Palestinian flags during a demonstration near the American embassy in Amman last week [Muhammad Hamed/Reuters]

Arab states have put pressure on Jordan to accept the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and a heavily stripped-down version of the Palestinian state, Jordanian politicians and analysts say.

Member of Parliament Wafa Bani Mustafa told Al Jazeera the two main antagonists are the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has taken a dominant role.

Jordan sided with the Palestinians and rejected US President Donald Trump’s decision last week to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognise the Holy City as the capital of Israel.

“Bin Salman and the United Arab Emirates are trying to strangle Jordan’s economy until it agrees to their terms, submit to their leadership in the region, and agree to Trump’s so-called ‘ultimate deal’,” Bani Mustafa said, referring to the US president’s as yet unexplained new plan to bring about peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

US, Saudi, Israel axis

King Abdullah II said Trump’s Jerusalem announcement would have “dangerous repercussions on the stability and security of the region”, according to a statement released by the royal palace.

Thousands of protesters in Amman and other Jordanian cities denounced the US and Israel as well as Saudi Arabia — accusing the Gulf kingdom of collusion in the Jerusalem decision.

An official Saudi statement described Trump’s move as “unjustified and irresponsible”, and “a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process”.

However, according to a report by Reuters news agency, Crown Prince Salman is said to be acting on behalf senior White House advisor Jared Kushner and has presented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with the American plan for Middle East peace.

The US scheme reportedly involves creating a Palestinian state consisting of the Gaza Strip and disjointed parts of the occupied West Bank — without East Jerusalem as its capital, and without resolving the right of return of Palestinian refugees displaced when Israel was founded in 1948.

Al Jazeera spoke to three officials close to the Palestinian Authority’s leadership who confirmed that Crown Prince bin Salman pressured Abbas to accept a watered-down version of Palestinian statehood, without its chosen capital.

Bani Mustafa said the United States and its regional partners excluded Jordan from any arrangements regarding a Palestinian state. She also pointed out Jordan was not invited by Egypt to participate in Palestinian reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas last October.

Economic diplomacy

While Jordan is the only Arab nation directly impacted by a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, neither the US or Arab countries invited Jordan to the negotiating table, Bani Mustafa noted.

Jordan is home to several million Palestinian refugees, and its social, economic, and political fabric is interwoven directly with Palestinians in the West Bank.

King Abdullah is also the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy places, and the royal court pays the salaries of …read more

Source:: Israpundit

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