The recent turmoil in the Middle East shouldn’t prevent the United States from pushing ahead with its efforts to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Monday.
"The current changes in the Middle East should not hinder our determination to reactivate the peace process," the monarch told a visiting delegation of U.S. congressional aides.
"The monarch underscored the importance of the U.S.’ leading role" in resuming the direct talks that should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, a royal court statement said.
Abdullah’s sentiment was reiterated by U.S. President Barack Obama earlier in the month, when he said that the winds of change sweeping the Middle East made it "more urgent than ever" to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Peace talks between the two sides broke down in September, after an Israeli building freeze on construction on West Bank settlements expired. Palestinians refuse to return to the negotiating table unless another settlement freeze is reinstated, while Israel has said it wants negotiations with no preconditions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak to the U.S. congress in May, where he is expected to address the issue of Mideast peace.
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