Gantz meets Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman to discuss Ramadan tensions

Defense Minister Benny Gantz meets with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman to discuss concerns of violence amid the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, Gantz’s office says.

This is the third meeting between Abdullah and Gantz, with the first happening secretly in February 2021, and a public meeting in January this year.

According to Gantz’s office, the meeting focused on local security and policy topics.

Gantz presented Abdullah with the steps that Israel intends to take in order to maintain freedom of worship for Palestinians in Jerusalem during Ramadan, as well as other moves intended to improve the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, his office says.

“The defense minister emphasized to him the importance of maintaining stability and calm, and the overall need to fight terror, and in particular the Islamic State organization, which is behind the recent terrorist attacks in Israel,” his office says.

The meeting had been scheduled before Sunday night’s deadly attack in Hadera.

The minister “wished him and all the citizens of the kingdom a ‘Ramadan Kareem,’ ahead of the month of Ramadan which will begin in the coming days.”