King Abdullah to Trump: Jordan, Arab world reject displacement of Palestinians in Gaza

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that he reaffirmed his rejection of the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza during his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday and said that this was the unified Arab stance.

Prior to their meeting, Trump doubled down on his pressure campaign against Jordan and Egypt, saying the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip and that he wanted Amman and Cairo to take in some of the Palestinians that would be forcibly displaced.

Trump welcomed King Abdullah to the White House and said the US wanted to push ahead with his vision for Gaza, which he previously said would be turned into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

“We’re going to take it, we’re going to hold it, we’re going to cherish it,” Trump said as he welcomed the Jordanian king, the first Arab leader to visit the White House since the second Trump administration took office last month.

The president, a former real estate mogul, said he would not personally develop Gaza. “We’re going to get it going eventually, where a lot of jobs are going to be created for the people in the Middle East. It’s going to be for the people in the Middle East. But I think it could be a diamond,” Trump said.

For his part, King Abdullah said he would pitch a united position to Trump along with Arab and Muslim Countries. Abdullah also said Jordan would take in 2,000 Palestinian kids from Gaza, some of which need cancer treatment.

He voiced his belief that Trump could “take us across the finish line” to bring stability, peace and prosperity to the Middle East. “It is... our collective responsibility in the Middle East to continue to work with you, to support you to achieve those wealthy goals,” King Abdullah said.

King Abdullah said he would not say more on Trump’s proposals until Egypt could provide its opinion. The top Egyptian diplomat met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday at the State Department. Al Arabiya reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s trip to Washington set for next week had been postponed until further notice.

After meeting Trump, King Abdullah said he reaffirmed his rejection of the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and said this was the unified Arab stance. “Everyone’s priority should be the reconstruction of Gaza without displacing its people,” he said in a statement posted on X.

Trump’s recent proposal for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and displace the millions of Palestinians living there drew quick condemnation from the Arab world and much of Europe.

During a joint press conference last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the American president said Gaza was a demolition site and Palestinians living there should be sent to different countries to be able to live a better life. Trump repeatedly suggested that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians displaced from Gaza under his plan, but this has been shot down and condemned by the entire Arab world.

After threatening to withhold US aid this week if Jordan and Egypt failed to cooperate, Trump appeared to backtrack on Tuesday. “I do think we’re above that,” Trump told reporters.