Jordan says Israel-UAE deal hinges on future Israel steps

Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi was reacting to the sudden announcement that Israel and the energy-rich Gulf state had agreed to a US-brokered deal to normalise ties.

As part of the deal, Israel said it would "suspend" annexing swathes of the occupied West Bank.

But Safadi, who did not welcome or reject the agreement, said that "the impact of the deal on peace efforts is linked to the actions Israel will take".

He said the Jewish state must end its "illegal actions" and its "violations of Palestinian rights".

He also urged Israel to engage in "direct, serious and active peace negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution" between Israel and the Palestinians.

Read more: Will annexation mark the end of Jordan's peace treaty with Israel?

Jordan in 1994 became the second Arab country, after Egypt, to signed a peace treaty with Israel. More than half of the tiny kingdom's population is of Palestinian descent.

Earlier this year, after US President Donald Trump gave Israel the green light to annex parts West Bank territory and Jewish settlements there, Jordan reacted angrily, with King Abdullah II warning of a "massive conflict" if the plan went ahead.

[Click to enlarge]

Safadi said on Thursday that Jordan backs "any real effort that contributes to achieving comprehensive and just peace that ends Israeli occupation and meets the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people".

The kingdom, he added, will continue to work with its allies toward that goal.

But he insisted that the region was facing a "crossroads: either peace... or a conflict which Israel will be responsible for".

Bahrain and Egypt have welcomed the normalisation pact, which has been rejected by the Palestinian Authority and its rival, the militant group Hamas.

Egypt and Jordan were formerly the only Arab states to have peace agreements with Israel.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected