رابع لقاء سري خلال سنة على الأقل بين نتانياهو وعبدالله الثاني في الأردن

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, meets Jordan's King Abdulla at the Royal Palace, Aqaba, May 14, 2009. Photo by Reuters / Haaretz Archive

Jordan: Netanyahu in Amman for closed-door talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace

Netanyahu: Israel will take Jordan's interests into account in any peace deal.

By Barak Ravid,   Jack Khoury       and The Associated Press    | Jan. 16, 2014 | 3:33 PM |   1

Jerusalem will take Jordan's security interests into consideration in any peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday.

Netanyahu returned to Jerusalem early Thursday afternoon, after meeting with the king at his palace in Amman. Netanyahu's office did not announce the visit prior to his return to Israel.

"The prime minister emphasized the important role Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah, plays in the efforts to achieve a peace agreement with the Palestinians," said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. "The prime minister stressed that Israel has placed an emphasis on security arrangements, including Jordanian interests, in any future agreement," adding that any deal would take into consideration the peace treaty signed between Israel and Jordan 20 years ago.

Netanyahu was in Amman for closed-door talks with the king on the latest about the latest "developments in the peace process" brokered by the United States.

Netanyahu made at least three similar visits to Jordan last year.

Jordan maintains cordial relations with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994 — one of only two signed agreements the Jewish state has with an Arab country.

Jordanian media, meanwhile, reported that the meeting with Netanyahu followed a series of meetings in recent weeks between King Abdullah and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abdullah has been working to help move the Israeli-Palestinian talks forward, but has also sought to protect his country's interests in the event a peace deal takes shape – especially if it concerns the core issues.

The Americans and Palestinians have updated the Jordanians on the negotiations at every step of the way, prompting some disagreement when it comes to Jordan's stake in the core issues, Haaretz has learned.

Among the issues pertaining to Jordan are the western border of the Jordan Valley, the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and water supplies.