Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority declared eastern Jerusalem as the “capital of Palestine” ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel May 22-23.
“Everyone is convinced that the president of the United States wants to act effectively for peace,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Sunday at a press conference in Amman, alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
“The three of us felt a genuine commitment by Trump to resolve the conflict,” said Safadi.
In addition to conveying optimism regarding the Trump administration’s renewed peace push, the three Arab diplomats pressed for a two-state solution involving an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, insisting it is the only solution for an enduring peace.
The Arab officials also insisted the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the root of all tension in the Middle East, and that a two-state solution would remedy regional conflicts and promote stability.
Critics of a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines say those borders would be indefensible for Israel.
This article was originally published at jns.org. Used with permission.