Photo Credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO/FLASH90
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu flew to Jordan Thursday morning for secret talks with Jordanian King Abdullah “on developments related to Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations under the auspices of the United State,” the kingdom’s official Petra News Agency reported.

The key part of the two-paragraph statement was its last seven words in the following sentence:

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“The King’s meeting with the Israeli leader comes after his latest separate meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry…to achieve tangible progress that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people protecting at the same time Jordan’s interests.“

“Protecting Jordan’s interests” is something that is overlooked in the giant media microscope that is focused on Jerusalem and Ramallah.

There are an estimate 2.5-3 million Palestinians in Jordan, out of a total population of barely 7 million. Making up nearly 50 percent of the country, the Palestinians are a big time bomb but also are a critical part of the country’s work force.

Even more than Israel, Jordan is better off with a powerless and useless Palestinian Authority.

Jordan has a healthy trade with Israel. Giving the Jordan Valley to Mahmoud Abbas, God forbid, could be catastrophic for Amman, politically, economically and militarily.

The king prefers Israeli forces on the border than a Palestinian Authority army standing on the banks of the Jordan River.

If King Abdullah were totally belligerent to Israel’s needs, Prime Minister Netanyahu would not have wasted time bringing up Israel’s Biblical ties with Beit El in Samaria.

Army Radio reported that the Prime Minister reminded the king that the Biblical Yaakov built an altar there after dreaming that angels were descending and descending from a ladder from heaven.

Beit El happens just happens to be located a stone’s throw, pardon the expression, from Ramallah, and the last thing  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry needs is the idea that Israel maintain a Jewish presence next door to Abbas’ offices.

Since Netanyahu reportedly brought out the Bible, he should have opened the New Testament so that King Abdullah could see for himself that despite Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon comments about Kerry, it is not written anywhere, not even in hidden clues, that Kerry is the Messiah.

There is no doubt that King Abdullah agrees.

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Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu is a graduate in journalism and economics from The George Washington University. He has worked as a cub reporter in rural Virginia and as senior copy editor for major Canadian metropolitan dailies. Tzvi wrote for Arutz Sheva for several years before joining the Jewish Press.