Responding to Jordanian plans to partially annul peace deal, PM says he’s ready to negotiate

Responding to an announcement by Jordan that it will not be renewing part of its peace treaty with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he plans on negotiating with Amman to ensure that the entire deal remains intact.

“There is no doubt that the entire agreement is important and dear to both our countries. We will negotiate with Jordan for its extension.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced on Sunday he was pulling out of part of the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan that granted Israel use of two small agricultural areas along the border that were part of Jordan.

They include areas at Naharayim in the north and the Tzofar enclave in the southern Arava desert, both of which will now return to Jordanian hands within a year.

The legal ramifications of the decision are minimal, as the appendix to the treaty that granted Israel use of the areas included a renewal clause after 25 years, when both sides will have the option to abandon the deal. The 25th anniversary of the agreement is next year.