Israel Ready to Talk, Jordan’s King Told
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Jordan’s King Hussein on Thursday that he is ready to move ahead quickly in peace talks with the Palestinians provided that the Jewish state’s security is not endangered.
Jordan has been trying to play a greater role in the stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and the surprise meeting came just before U.S. special envoy Dennis B. Ross was to return to the region for a second attempt at winning Israeli and Palestinian acceptance of a compromise proposal.
The plan calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from 13% of the West Bank in stages over 12 weeks. But Netanyahu has said he can hand over no more than 9% of the land.
Hussein discussed the U.S. proposal with Netanyahu during their two-hour meeting in Eilat on Thursday, according to Jordan’s official Petra news agency.
The premier told Hussein that Israel wants to advance peace as quickly as possible, but without harming its security, according to a statement by Netanyahu’s office.
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