His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday met in Washington with leaders of American Jewish organisations and urged them to call on US decision makers to bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table.

King Abdullah stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process to ultimately lead to the emergence of a Palestinian state that can exist in peace and harmony alongside Israel.

 “Real peace is one that unites peoples and encourages them to defend its existence, and not the one that rests on threats of force,” His Majesty said.

The King also underlined Jordan’s commitment to working with all parties to ensure the security and stability of the region, saying that Jordan seeks to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis that can lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital and on the basis of the two-state solution. This is the only way to restore the region’s security and stability and find solutions to all final status issues, he said.

His Majesty warned that the continuation of unilateral Israeli measures, settlement constructions and desecration of holy sites in Jerusalem pose serious threats to peace efforts.

The King noted that the 11-year-old Arab Peace Initiative has constituted a historic transformation in the quality of solutions suggested to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The overture, he told the Jewish leaders, guarantees both the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state and the security of Israel, which will have the chance to enjoy peace with 57 Arab and Islamic states.

His Majesty talked about the consequences of the Syrian on the region, emphasising the importance of finding a comprehensive political solution that brings an end to suffering and bloodshed, and ensures Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.

The King pointed to Jordan’s role in hosting and providing for Syrian refugees, and the role of the international community in supporting Jordan’s capacity to that end.

Regarding the Jerusalem agreement signed by the King and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, His Majesty said that the Hashemites are enacting their historic role in preserving and defending Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The King emphasised that the agreement reinstates the Hashemite role, which “we are honoured to carry.”

His Majesty added that the Hashemites have been entrusted with preserving Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and will work to ensure that they remain a symbol of peace and not a hotbed of conflict.

The King emphasised that achieving real and enduring peace is in the interest of future generations and worth investing in.

He added that US-Jewish organisations also have a responsibility to contribute to the peace process in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution.

For their part, representatives of US-Jewish organisations commended Jordan’s efforts to reach a permanent and lasting peace in the Middle East.

They also highlighted the “deep” Jordanian-US ties, calling for enhancing these relations to better serve peace efforts in the Middle East.

The representatives lauded the King’s “wisdom” as a peace-seeking regional leader, commending the “Jordanian model” of moderation and stability in the region.

They cited the Amman Message, which calls for interfaith dialogue and tolerance.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, His Majesty’ Office Director Imad Fakhoury and Jordan’s Ambassador to Washington Alia Bouran attended the meeting.

Jason F. Isaacson, director of government and international affairs at the American Jewish Committee, said the King addressed all American societies in a bid to convince them that the US should play a leading role in resolving the region’s issues.

Isaacson added that His Majesty outlined the region’s problems and challenges, especially the complicated situation in Syria and its repercussions on the security of the Middle East in its entirety.

He said Jordan plays an important role in the peace process by pushing Palestinians and Israelis to enter into serious negotiations and achieve a historic regional peace, noting that the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty is among the key factors of the region’s stability.