King Abdullah of Jordan will meet US President Donald Trump on February 11 at the White House, the Jordanian state news agency reported yesterday, following Trump’s call for the transfer of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.
Last week, Trump said that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza, which he called a ‘demolition site’ following 15 months of Israeli bombardments that have rendered most of its 2.3 million people homeless. Critics have called his suggestion tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
Jordan appeared to reject Trump’s suggestion, with its Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi telling reporters on January 26 that the country’s stance against any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza remains ‘firm and unwavering’.
Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. Both countries and other Arab nations reject the idea of Palestinians in Gaza being moved to their countries. Gaza is land that Palestinians would want as part of a future Palestinian state.