Abdullah's Washington visit focuses on Gaza's humanitarian situation

A visit to Washington this week by King Abdullah II of Jordan was largely overshadowed by the escalating events in the Middle East, especially Israel’s takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt. As the Israeli action, which threatens to escalate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and tests Israel-Egyptian relations, loomed in the background, Abdullah and President Joe Biden discussed their shared commitment to achieving a lasting cease-fire in Gaza.

Abdullah’s meeting with Biden considered a “private visit,” comes as Jordan and other Arab states, along with the Palestinian Authority, sound the alarm over Israel’s expected ground offensive in Rafah.

According to official statements by Jordan and the US, Abdullah and Biden’s meeting on Monday focused on the latest developments in Gaza. The two leaders affirmed their commitment to working toward an enduring end to the crisis.

A statement from the Jordanian royal court said that Abdullah “warned of the repercussions of the Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict.” Abdullah warned Biden that the offensive would lead to a “new massacre” of civilians in Gaza, urging the international community to take immediate action.

The leaders underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages and a sustainable cease-fire that allows for a surge of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza.

Both Abdullah and Biden stated that they remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace, including a pathway to a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel. They reiterated their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and Biden thanked Abdullah for Jordan’s leadership and partnership on the issue of humanitarian aid.

The leaders also acknowledged 75 years of “partnership and friendship” between the two countries, with Biden congratulating Abdullah on the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Biden and Abdullah also discussed rising tensions in the West Bank, which borders Jordan. According to the official US statement about the meeting, the leaders spoke about “the critical importance of stability in the West Bank and support for the reforms now being pursued by the Palestinian Authority.”

Biden noted his administration’s concern that Israel may begin a major ground offensive in Gaza while acknowledging that the current operation, which began Monday night, “is an operation of limited scope, scale, and duration and aimed at cutting off Hamas’ ability to ship arms across the Rafah border.” He affirmed the importance of Israel reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt as soon as possible in order to allow aid into Gaza.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and shares the longest border with Israel and the West Bank, putting the country in a unique strategic position to influence other states.

Dr. Amer Al Sabaileh, an Amman-based professor and geopolitical analyst, told The Media Line that the US is taking Jordanian concerns seriously. “The king’s meeting with Biden confirms that Jordan is an essential partner for the United States of America,” Al Sabaileh said. “King Abdullah is the leader who met Biden the most and influenced the American position on the war on Gaza.”

“Jordan is a voice that differs from the other voices and can present to the United States its opinion on the seriousness of this war on the region since the kingdom is an important ally,” he continued.

Attempting to push Biden to stop Rafah operation

Osama Sharif, a Jordanian political analyst, told The Media Line that the king’s private visit was a last-ditch attempt to push President Biden to stop the Rafah offensive and force Netanyahu to accept the latest cease-fire deal, which the Americans themselves helped broker. “Unfortunately, that did not happen, and by occupying the Rafah crossing, Israel has derailed any chance of an end to the war and captive exchange.”

Katrina Sammour, an Amman-based security analyst, told the Media Line that the king’s visit comes at a very difficult time when the US is deeply divided ahead of a highly contentious presidential election. The issue of Gaza, while deeply painful to Jordanians, is a political live wire in the US, with the Biden Administration’s entrenched pro-Israel policy on one side and student encampments throughout the country protesting what they see as genocide on the other. “We need to understand that Jordan represents the modern state reliant on international law, global institutions, and diplomacy,” Sammour said. “These are not in fashion at the moment, as GOP senators threaten the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice is not respected, and student protesters are arrested by the hundreds. Regionally, Jordan is placed between Iranian proxies and the rise of the radical settler movement in Israel.”

Sammour argues that the king’s visit addressed both domestic and regional challenges Jordan is facing while advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza and also the guarantees of a Palestinian state. “The delay of an arms shipment to Israel in light of its actions in Rafah shows the visit likely succeeded,” she said.

Nedal Zubeidi, editor of the Jordan Daily, an English-language Jordanian news site, described the king’s visit to Washington and his meetings with President Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson as necessary despite having produced no results in the ongoing Gaza crisis. He told The Media Line, “I believe his urgent call for an immediate cease-fire and the protection of civilians, and warning of Israel’s ground operation in Rafah, underscore the severity of the situation.

“The king’s warning about the potential regional spillover of the conflict, in my view, is a stark reminder of the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe,” Zubeidi said. He added that the Israeli prime minister’s defiance of the world consensus doesn’t bode well for peace or the possibility of implementing a two-state solution.

In addition to the meetings at the White House, Abdullah also met with top congressional leaders and the president of the World Bank. After leaving Washington, he traveled to Ottawa to meet with the Canadian prime minister.