King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday warned that failure in the peace process will threaten the security and stability of the Middle East. During separate meetings in Washington with representatives of U.S. Arab, Muslim, and Jewish organizations, the king said Israel should be held responsible for its commitments to the Palestinians as agreed within the framework of the peace process and the U.S.-backed roadmap plan. The Washington meetings, attended by Queen Rania and members of the Jordanian delegation, came ahead of the king's meeting with President George W. Bush on Tuesday at the White House. The king emphasized that Israel's continued use of military force against Palestinian civilians will not ensure its security, and he said Jordan is working with the United States to maintain its peace-making role. Abdullah urged the U.S. organizations to work to sustain the Bush administration's support for the peace process in order to reach a comprehensive peace agreement that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The king stressed the role of Arab and Muslim American organizations in highlighting the critical humanitarian situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the urgent need to assist them. The Jordanian monarch also called on the U.S. organizations to support the Arab peace initiative that constitutes the framework for comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Abdullah asked the Jewish-American groups to encourage Israel to commit to peace as the only way to ensure security and stability in the region. The king explained that Israel should work towards supporting the Palestinian Authority and easing the difficult living conditions faced by the Palestinians. The king also discussed the role and U.S. Muslim and Arab organizations can play in promoting peace and strengthening dialogue, understanding, tolerance, and coexistence between the Arab and Muslim worlds and the West.
