Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania returned home on Thursday after concluding a several-day visit to the US during which His Majesty King Abdullah addressed a joint meeting of Congress, urging the US leadership to help the Palestinians and Israelis achieve peace.
King Abdullah, who thanked the Congress for supporting Jordan's progress, appealed for American support for the Middle East peace process to create new possibilities for the region.
The King told the US congressmen in his address on Wednesday “We must work together to restore peace, hope and opportunity to the Palestinian people. And in doing so, we will begin a process of building peace, not only throughout the region, but throughout the world.”
King Abdullah said Arab efforts “can only be successful if they are matched by a similar diplomatic offensive” by international powers and the Quartet.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Ilah Khatib, who accompanied the King on the visit, said the Monarch's address was an important step in the history of Arab politics.
Egypt's Ambassador in Washington Nabil Fahmi said the King's description of the Palestinian question as being the core issue of the Middle East was accurate, strong and clear, as well as very useful on the American level.
Bahrain's Ambassador in Washington, Nasser Buloshi, also commended the King's speech.
Representatives of Arab and Muslim organisations in the US, who met with the King on Wednesday, welcomed his remarks.
Arab American Institute President James Zogby praised the King's message to the US Congress, describing it as strong and brave.
Council on American-Islamic Relations Director Nihad Awad, who also attended the meeting, said: “American politicians are not used to hearing such a candid address and they listened to it with interest” from a friend and an ally who is regarded as “an important and pivotal leader.”
Jordanian political analyst Fares Breizat, who is currently in Washington, said the King's address was an emotional, human and moral message to the US community and decision makers.
Also on Wednesday, the Monarch received Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Ben Hamad Al Khalifa who is on a visit to the US. King Abdullah and Sheikh Salman discussed means of enhancing bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual concern in the region.
On Tuesday, King Abdullah met with US President George W. Bush and stressed the importance of US commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, amid the current momentum to revive the Middle East peace process.
And during his meetings with US Vice President Dick Cheney and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, His Majesty called on the US administration to advance the peace process by supporting the Arab Peace Initiative.
The US should seize growing international interest in Mideast peacemaking to revive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations and broker a final settlement that would meet the needs of both sides, the King stressed during his meeting with the US officials.
In an interview with Jim Lehrer from the Public Broadcasting Service, the King underlined the importance of arriving at a final settlement to the Palestinian question, stressing the role the US can play in this regard. The King attributed earlier progress in the peace process to direct US efforts. Without peace, a cycle of violence will affect the region for many years to come, the King told Lehrer.
Accompanying the King during the visit were Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, Senate President Zeid Rifai, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali, Director of the King's Office Bassem Awadallah, Director of the General Intelligence Department Major General Mohammad Dahabi and Jordan's Ambassador to Washington Prince Zeid Raad.
A delegation comprising members of families who lost their loved ones during the 2005 hotel bombing in Amman also attended the congressional session.
Before the visit to the US, the King visited Britain where he discussed means to relaunch the Middle East peace process with Prime Minister Tony Blair and other British officials.
Meanwhile, on Thursday King Abdullah received a telephone call from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who lauded the Monarch's address to the US Congress and commended his support for the Palestinians.
They also discussed the current regional situation, efforts to revive the Middle East peace process and the role the Organisation of the Islamic Countries can play in this regard.
The Jordan Times