From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 4, 2024
Marking 30 years since treaty with Jordan, FM insists Israel committed to peace with its neighbors
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Israel Katz praises the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, whose 30th anniversary was quietly marked last week.
“The agreement enhanced stability, security and prosperity in both countries, and it will continue to benefit our two states in the future, despite various challenges,” writes Katz on X.
“While we currently face the forces of evil that seek to destroy us and to destabilize the Middle East, it is important to remember that Israel remains committed to peace with our neighbors in the region.”
Such comments have not been voiced by Jordanian officials, as Amman fumes over Israel’s prosecution of its war against Hamas in Gaza.
About a month ago, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi gave an impassioned speech on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in which he insisted that Arab and Muslim countries will guarantee Israel’s security if Jerusalem agrees to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines, while blasting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to do so.
“The amount of damage that this Israeli government has done — 30 years of efforts to convince people that peace is possible, this Israeli government killed it. The amount of dehumanization, hatred, bitterness, will take generations to navigate through,” the Jordanian foreign minister said. “We have no partner for peace in Israel, there is a partner for peace in the Arab world, and that’s why the international community needs to move.”
