Abbas: Jordan for Jordanians, Palestine for Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said the Palestinian leadership and people reject any solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at the expense of Jordan. During a meeting with a delegation of Jordanian parliamentarians who arrived in Ramallah yesterday, Abbas reiterated the Palestinian people would turn down any proposal that involves “resettling Palestinian refugees at the expense of Jordan”, stressing that Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians. Abbas also asserted the “sacred” right of Palestinian refugees for return and repatriation, in accordance with international and human rights accords and resolutions, stressing that the Palestinian leadership will push for UN recognition of a Palestinian state in September. During the meeting, attended by Awad Sarhan, head of the Jordan Representation Office at the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian president also briefed the Jordanian delegation on developments related to the peace process, highlighting the stalemate it reached due to Israel’s continuation with its settlement activity. Abbas highlighted the strong Jordanian-Palestinian relations, expressing appreciation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s continued support for the Palestinians. The Jordanian delegation, chaired by Deputy Yihya Saud (Amman, 2nd District) and comprising 10 deputies, is scheduled to meet with Palestinian officials and tour Palestinian areas during its four-day visit.