Citing Shift on Israel, Jordan’s King Delays Talks With Bush

Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday abruptly postponed a White House summit with President Bush, expressing concerns about the recent shift in U.S. strategy in the Middle East.

The king’s decision to delay his visit, which had been set for Wednesday, comes amid an outcry in the Arab world over Bush’s announcement last week that the United States would back the Israeli position on two key matters in Israel’s dispute with the Palestinians.

After a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday, Bush expressed support for Israel’s claims to some settlements in West Bank territory seized in the 1967 Middle East War, and for Israel’s refusal to grant Palestinian refugees a “right of return” to their former homes in Israel.

Sharon had sought U.S. backing for those positions as he courted domestic political support for his plan to withdraw unilaterally from military facilities and settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Bush administration officials said U.S. backing for Sharon’s plan could help jump-start stalled Mideast peace talks. But Palestinians and Arab leaders said that in the wake of the shift, the United States could no longer be viewed as an honest broker in the peace process.

A statement from the Jordanian government said Abdullah would not meet with Bush “until discussions and deliberations are concluded with officials in the American administration to clarify the American position on the peace process and the final situation in the Palestinian territories, especially in light of the latest statements by officials in the American administration.”

U.S. officials said the summit was expected to be rescheduled for the first week in May.

“Our understanding is that [the postponement] has to do with tensions in the region,” a senior State Department official said. “We’re continuing to work with the Jordanians, and we look forward to seeing him back the first week in May.”

Jordan is a key U.S. ally and one of the few Arab states to have diplomatic relations with Israel. Abdullah arrived in the U.S. last week, making several appearances in California before canceling the latter part of his trip.

Before the Jordanian announcement, Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher met Monday with national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. Muasher was scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today.

White House officials have said they consulted with Arab leaders during their discussions with the Israelis before Bush’s meeting with Sharon last week. However, U.S. officials have also acknowledged that the terms of the diplomatic deal were being negotiated until just a few hours before it was announced, and Arab leaders have suggested that the full extent of the U.S. shift came as a surprise.

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Times staff writer Sonni Efron and Associated Press contributed to this report.