Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who is going through a series of domestic and external crises, is all set to become the first Arab leader to meet with US President Joe Biden when he will be visiting the White House on Monday.
As a steadfast US ally, the King has reigned over Jordan for 21 years despite proficiently tough relations with Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, who he believed was shelving his country from regional developments. “There was no warm relationship between Trump and the King,” Saud al-Sharafat, a former brigadier-general in the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate, told a news channel.
“Jordan’s political leaders felt Trump was totally neglecting the Hashemite dynasty.” In 2017, the King told Trump his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would have “dangerous repercussions on the stability and security of the region,” according to a palace statement.
Although Jordan established full relations with Israel in 1994, the King also opposed the deals the Trump administration brokered in 2020 with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
