US source: Jordan angry at Trump after hiding details of 'Deal of the Century'

Jordan

Published: 2019-04-16 15:13

Last Updated: 2024-03-18 07:40


US source: Jordan angry at Trump after hiding details of 'Deal of the Century'
US source: Jordan angry at Trump after hiding details of 'Deal of the Century'

In a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month, King Abdullah II of Jordan said the White House had given him zero visibility in details of the “Deal of the Century,” according to Axios.

The King expressed his displeasure with not being informed of their most fraught part of their peace plan: how it proposes to divide Israeli and Palestinian territory.

The King seemed dissatisfied with the level of consultation and was pessimistic about the plan's prospects, two sources in the room told Axios.

King Abdullah has privately told people he is frustrated by the fact that despite having numerous meetings with senior Trump administration officials, he's never been given any detail about the core political issues, in which Jordan has a huge interest.

Another source in the room said King Abdullah "gave the impression that it was more of an economic deal rather than a peace deal."

A Jordanian official with knowledge of the discussion told Axios: "His Majesty was asked about the plan and said he did not yet see it and therefore cannot comment. He also believes that an economic plan without a political one is not sufficient."

A senior White House official responded: "We have met and spoken with leaders throughout the region, including King Abdullah, to share ideas and solicit their thoughts."
"Since the beginning, we have been clear that this is not just an economic plan. We are taking very seriously both aspects of this, the political, which deals with all the core issues, and the economic. We understand that if the political aspect does not work, the economic aspect will not create peace."

Sources with direct knowledge told Axios that only five or six people in the entire U.S. government have seen the political side of the “Deal of the Century”, making it one of few secrets the White House has been able to keep.