As the Israel–Hamas conflict challenges resuming, the leader has a high-stakes White House meet with King Abdullah II al al Bush of Jordan, a key American ally in the Middle East.
Natasha Hall, a senior fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies Middle East system, predicted that Trump’s conference with Abdullah on Tuesday would be “probably one of the most unpleasant discussions between lifelong allies in new remembrance.”
” Trump’s speech alone about Gaza is an existential threat to Jordan’s stability”, Hall told the Washington Examiner. I believe that President Trump’s decision to retract some of his comments or to go full-throttle may reveal a bit about how the meeting went, but I do believe that at least those in charge of the presidency might try to do so.
In light of the unrest in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, according to a 2024 Congressional Research Services statement, the two countries ‘ relationship has grown more significant to American foreign policy as they try to support social centrists and combat religious turmoil and terrorist threats in the Middle East.
To that end, Jordan , has received , more than$ 31 billion in U. S. foreign aid since relations were first forged in 1949. Under President Joe Biden, the State Department , also signed , a new deal in 2022 to provide Jordan$ 1.45 billion per year through 2029.
In trade, and as Jordan contends with its own migrant crisis and financial constraints, the land consents to having 3, 000 U. S. military personnel and provides intellect and political support. Jordan, for instance, assisted Israel during its springtime assault by Iran.  ,
During Trump’s first term, Abdullah and Trump met half at the White House, but Tuesday’s conference comes at a crucial moment for Middle Eastern peace and after the Israel-Hamas conflict upended private relations.
The president has reiterated his need to completely relocate Palestinians after Trump suggested that Gaza should become the “world’s people” last week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint media event.
Before Super Bowl LIX, Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier,” We’ll build protected areas a little bit apart from where they are, where all of this risk is.” ” In the meantime, I had unique this. Consider it to be a potential real estate development. It would be a wonderful piece of land. No large cash spent”.
” Do the Palestinians have the right to be back”? Baier asked.
” No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing”, the president said. I believe I can negotiate with Jordan. I believe I can come to an agreement with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars annually.
Trump’s plan has been condemned by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar as Egypt and Qatar play important roles in the Israel-Hamas peace and prisoner conversations. Jordan has a history of working with Hamas in mediation.
Republicans and Democrats have downplayed how likely it is that the United States will effectively occupy Gaza, despite the White House’s persistent pledge to support the restoration of the enclave.
American Enterprise Institute foreign and defense senior fellow , Danielle Pletka’s advice to Trump was” caveat emptor”, or buyer beware.
” It’s a ruin, not just because of the war, but because Hamas has systematically destroyed any vestige of civilization, compassion, expansion, or ability to live with people”, Pletka told the Washington Examiner. It would take a lot to entice me into a condominium in Gaza.
After Hamas announced on Monday that a prisoner release scheduled for Saturday may be delayed “until more see,” the Trump-Abdullah meet coincides with the rise in tensions over the Israel-Hamas stalemate and prisoner deal.
Trump warned Hamas” all hell is going to break out” if the hostages aren’t released” by Saturday at 12o’clock” during an executive order signing ceremony at the White House on Monday.
” If they’re not returned — all of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two — by Saturday at 12o’clock, and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out”, he told reporters. ” Hamas will find out what I mean”.
Israel Defense Forces were instructed to prepare for “any possible scenario” in Gaza earlier than Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously criticized the postponement as a” complete violation of the ceasefire.” In response, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of preventing the return of northern Gaza residents and the entry of relief supplies.
Phase one of a peace agreement included the negotiations over the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the first hostage release under the leadership of Biden, with discussions kicking off the second phase last week.
After being scrutinized for their Middle Eastern policies by Biden and former vice president Kamala Harris, Trump’s proposal for Gaza has also had political repercussions domestically. Pro-Palestinian protesters, for instance, decried Biden as” Genocide Joe” and Harris lost Michigan‘s Arab-majority city of Dearborn to Trump by more than 2, 500 votes, the first time a Republican has won it in two decades.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’s Michigan chapter and a member of the Imams Council of Michigan, “personally” has” no regrets” over not voting for Harris last year.
Egypt responded by refusing to relocate Gazans to tent camps in the Sinai, according to Walid, according to Walid. ” There’s a cessation of the bloodbath now”.
Even though earlier in the election cycle Sameh Elhady, vice chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Arab American caucus, considered not casting a ballot for Harris, he was disappointed with the likes of Walid.
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Elhady told the Washington Examiner,” I knew he would be a great supporter for the occupation, and I am feeling pain that it’s happening because some community members supported him and believed him as he promised to end the war.” ” We will see” there are some protest projects in the planning stages.
According to the Jordanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Abdullah arrived on Sunday for a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before holding sit-downs with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, Steve Witkoff’s special envoy to the Middle East, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
