King Abdullah: ‘The Palestinians’ goal is in danger’

Ahead of a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah following weeks of tensions between his country and Israel, Jordan’s king says that recent developments prove that “the Palestinians’ goal is in danger.”

Abdullah II is currently meeting Abbas in his first visit to Ramallah in five years. The monarch’s visit comes after a peak in Jordanian-Israeli tensions over the Temple Mount, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims. He is not scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the trip.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, King Abdullah said that efforts to come to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians were getting “harder by the day,” Israel’s Channel 2 News reports. He added that there would be “no progress” if the United States did not take an active role in efforts to begin negotiations.