His Majesty King Abdullah emphasized the Arabs' commitment to achieving peace with Israel based on its withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the creation of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian soil.

In an interview with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune published on Friday, King Abdullah said confidence in the peace process is waning because progress has not been made.

He warned that if the peace process fails, Israel will be isolated and regional conflict would be further encouraged.

King Abdullah said that in addition to offering Israel normal peaceful ties with Arab and Muslim countries in return for withdrawal from occupied Arab and Palestinian lands, the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative also provides collective security.

“I believe Israel's future is to be integrated into the region,” he said. “But if the powers that be look at Israel's future as Fortress Israel, bloodshed will continue for decades.”

He warned that the United States is not immune to the region's problems and stressed the need for serious negotiations to realise peace.

“What we are hoping for is active engagement by the Palestinians with the Americans, the Israelis with the Americans” as soon as possible, he said.

King Abdullah referred to US President Barack Obama's recent statements indicating that Middle East peace is in America's national interests, and said that Obama is fully committed to the two-state solution in resolving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

“It would be a catastrophe if our children have to talk about this [conflict],” the King said in reference to a question about the weight of youth in the region's demographic composition.

Regarding Israel's position on negotiations, King Abdullah said discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not led to any progress on the ground. He also disputed Israel's claim that there is no Palestinian partner for peace.

In the interview, King Abdullah described any military action against Iran as “disastrous for all of us because it would ignite the region.” He said the international crisis over Iran's nuclear capabilities should be resolved diplomatically.

Following his visit to Chicago, King Abdullah headed to Dallas where he met with former US President George W. Bush and former US Secretary of State James Baker, who currently chairs Baker & Botts Company.

King Abdullah discussed with Baker investment opportunities in Jordan and ways to increase cooperation in the fields of energy, renewable energy, infrastructure, IT and trade.