Alwaght- After the Middle East Eye published a report leaking Jordanian King Abdullah’s speech before members of the US Congress, Amman’s close ties, particularly military coordination, with the Israeli regime have been further underlined. This relationship has been dubbed shady, especially that the Palestinian cause is at stake.
Israeli Commentator Yossi Melman has verified to Israeli daily Maariv that the nature of secretive Israeli-Jordanian ties were verbalized in a speech by King Abdullah II before a number of Congressmen at the beginning of the year. Melman clarified that he based his article on what he has already published on Middle East Eye, concerning what King Abdullah’s remarks over cooperation with the Israeli military in confronting the Russian air force in Syria.
Maariv pointed out that King Abdullah informed members of the U.S Congress that he had received a call from Israeli chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot three months earlier in which he asked that Jordan contact the Russian army. He further requested coordination so that the two forces don’t collide.
Middle East Eye journalist David Hirst confirmed the authenticity of these quotes, saying the website has “checked the credibility of the quotes from King Abdullah’s conversation with a group of British military sources, diplomats, and other experts. We have no doubt about the accuracy of the information.”
Melman considered that the king’s speech “allows a rare insight into Israel’s special relations with Jordan.” The latest developments corroborate what has already been known; that Tel Aviv and Amman join efforts on several levels, including between their respective militaries. For example, the Israelis coordinate with their Jordanian counterparts on military frontlines as they have also taken synchronized steps related to the war on Syria.
Prior to communicating with Moscow and later meeting with a Russian delegation in Amman, Abdullah allegedly met with the Mossad chief in the Jordanian capital.
"We discussed an idea on how to keep the Russians in their place," the king reportedly told the US politicians.
In addition, Melman said that both Kings of Jordan Hussein and Abdullah have met with Mossad
chiefs throughout the years, making up a significant asset for Israeli intelligence since the 60’s, prior to the 1994 peace accord between the two sides.
The Jordanian king allegedly said that when Israeli and Jordanian authorities speak, they also speak on behalf of each other’s interests.
According to the report, Abdullah briefed the US members of Congress on a joint confrontation by Israeli and Jordanian F-16s against Russian jets that took place over Syria's southern border.
The Russian warplanes were reportedly in the vicinity on a mission on the border with neighbouring Syria.
"We saw the Russians fly down, but they were met with Israeli and Jordanian F-16s, both together in Israeli and Jordanian airspace," Middle East Eye quoted Abdullah as saying.
King Abdullah’s speech before the US Congress is considered to be the clearest evidence of the extent to which Jordan takes part in military operations around the world including Kenya and Libya. It also highlights the degree of its cooperation with the Israeli regime which has been systematically killing Palestinians, robbing their land, destroying their homes, and desecrating their sanctities since 1948. At the same time, Jordan has done little to assist Palestinians militarily in their struggle to regain their freedom.
