Senate president, US Congress delegation discuss war on Gaza, bilateral ties

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday met with a delegation of US Congress staffers.

Fayez highlighted the aspects of Jordanian-American relations, the comprehensive reform process underway in Jordan, and the current situation in the region, particularly regarding the "brutal" Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Fayez affirmed the strength of Jordanian-American relations, emphasising the Kingdom's commitment, under the guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah, to developing and building upon these relations to serve mutual interests and to push towards establishing more bilateral economic and investment partnerships. 

Fayez also expressed his appreciation for the support provided by the US to Jordan, which has helped the country face the economic challenges imposed by the current regional situation, including hosting around 1.3 million Syrian refugees due to the Syrian crisis alone.

He also pointed to the goal of the reform process that Jordan is undertaking, which is to achieve programmatic parliamentary governments, enhance popular participation, empower women and youth, improve the investment climate, develop public administration, and strengthen the roles of women and youth while respecting human rights, protecting public freedoms, ensuring judicial independence and the rule of law, and promoting integrity and transparency.

The meeting also addressed the current situation in the region and the importance of restoring security and stability, as well as ending the cycle of violence and conflicts. 

Fayez also urged for "decisive" international action, particularly from the US, to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, calling for holding Israel accountable to the rulings of the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the United Nations Security Council.

He also emphasised the need to stop the aggression, allow humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza, end war crimes, and lift the systematic siege and starvation policies.

Fayez also highlighted that His Majesty King Abdullah is making significant efforts to push the international community to reach an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, protect civilians, and prevent the escalation of the conflict in the region.

He also reiterated His Majesty's emphasis on intensifying international efforts to find a just solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on June 4, 1967, borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also said that Jordan views Israel's desperate attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians as a declaration of war, to which Jordan will strongly respond, adding that Jordan will firmly defend its national sovereignty and will not allow any entity to breach its land, sea, or air borders or to undermine its security and stability.

Fayez also noted that the King has repeatedly warned against the continuation of hostile actions by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which could lead to a regional war.

The delegation expressed their appreciation for the substantial efforts made by His Majesty to bring peace and stability to the region.

Also on Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Ahmed Huneiti on Tuesday met with the US Congress delegation to discuss enhancing cooperation and coordination between Jordan and the US across various sectors. The discussions also addressed the latest regional and international developments, Petra reported.

Huneiti emphasised the importance of deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries and called for unified international efforts to maintain global security and peace.

During the meeting, which was attended by senior Jordanian military officials, the US delegation was briefed on the ongoing modernisation efforts within the Jordanian Armed Forces, aimed at equipping them to meet the evolving challenges in the region.

The US delegation commended Jordan's pivotal role in combating terrorism, preventing smuggling, and ensuring regional stability.