Jordanian King Abdullah II will visit Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas later this month, a senior PA official said on Monday, according to Haaretz.
This will be the king’s first visit to Ramallah since 2017. It is expected to take place at the latest before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins at the start of April, the official said.
The official further said that Abbas plans to use the visit to convey a message to the United States for the need to advance a diplomatic process with Israel.
The two leaders will also discuss expected tensions during Ramadan in Jerusalem, particularly the likely visits to the Temple Mount by Jews during Passover, which coincides with Ramadan this year. King Abdullah’s office declined to comment on the report that he is expected to visit Ramallah, saying merely that the king’s schedule hasn’t been finalized.
The PA has expressed disappointment that the Biden administration has yet to launch any kind of diplomatic initiative on the Israeli-PA front, even though administration officials have reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution, noted Haaretz.
The PA had a tense relationship with the Trump administration and had been boycotting the US since 2017, in protest of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to the city.
However, since taking office, the Biden administration has renewed ties with the PA and had been crafting a plan aimed at “resetting” US ties with the PA.
In one move, the Biden administration announced it intends to resume aid to UNRWA as well as other aid to the PA which was suspended by the Trump administration.
In January, senior US and PA officials met virtually to renew the US-Palestinian Economic Dialogue for the first time in five years.
Last week, Hady Amr, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs, visited both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In Ramallah, he met with Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh and Majdi Khaldi, Abbas’ diplomatic adviser.
A day after that meeting, Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh accused the US administration of not yet having fulfilled any of the promises made by Biden to Abbas.