King Abdullah II of Jordan's recent visit to Washington marked the first meeting between an Arab leader and former President Donald Trump since his reelection. The meeting, held in the Oval Office on Tuesday, was highly anticipated, with widespread expectations that it might help moderate some of the more ambitious elements of Trump's vision for the Middle East. This vision includes transforming the war-torn Gaza Strip into a "Riviera" style development, a plan that involves permanently relocating over two million residents of Gaza.
During the joint press conference following their meeting, Trump reiterated his intention for the United States to take control of the Palestinian enclave, a move that has drawn almost universal opposition from the Arab world. Despite this opposition, King Abdullah II did not strongly challenge Trump's plan during the conference, a stance that has sparked criticism from both within Jordan and across the Arab region.
“We’re going to have it (Gaza), we’re going to keep it, and we’re going to make sure that there’s going to be peace and there’s not going to be any problem, and nobody’s going to question it, and we’re going to run it very properly,” – Donald Trump
King Abdullah's visit has done little to inspire confidence in his ability to effectively counter Trump's controversial proposal. While the king did offer to take in 2,000 of Gaza's sick children, this was perceived as a weak response given the scale of Trump's plan. Arab social media platforms erupted with criticism towards King Abdullah, accusing him of appearing to capitulate to Trump's demands.
“I believe we will have a parcel of land in Jordan, a parcel of land in Egypt, we may have some place else but I think when we finish our talks we’ll have a place where they’ll live very happily,” – Donald Trump
“Egypt and the Arab countries” had an alternative plan that would be revealed in due course – King Abdullah
The visit was intended to align Trump with a more grounded approach to the Middle East conflict; however, it appears to have had the opposite effect. Trump doubled down on his plan after meeting with King Abdullah II, further complicating the situation. The Arab world is now grappling with how best to respond, with Egypt announcing an emergency summit at the end of the month to discuss a counter-plan.
“You could see the discomfort on the king’s body language and his face … they were completely talking past each other,” – Khaled Elgindy
The details of this Arab counter-plan remain undisclosed, but there is a growing concern that any delay could inadvertently encourage Trump further. The expectation is that any viable alternative must involve financial incentives for Trump to consider and present it as a win for his administration.
“They are caught between a rock and a hard place … they will have to come up with an alternative plan that has to involve dollars for Trump to buy into it, and one that he can spin as a win,” – Slim
The political dynamics surrounding Trump's plan have placed King Abdullah in a challenging position both regionally and domestically. The majority of Jordanians oppose Trump's vision for Gaza, and King Abdullah's perceived failure to strongly oppose it during the press conference has not reflected well on his leadership.
“If the visit was aimed at helping sway Trump to abandon his plan, King Abdullah was unsuccessful because Trump doubled down. And it did not put the Jordanian king in the best light with his own population, he did not come across in the public presser as strongly pushing back against a plan which the majority of his population opposes,” – Randa Slim
“This is the unified Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all,” – King Abdullah
