Press Release
☷Remarks by President Biden and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan After a Meeting
White House ( By Press Release office)
Feb 13,2024
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Hey , what ' s up? Just wanted to say hi to His Majesty , the King of Jordan . He ' s a good friend , man . Welcome back to the White House! Oh , and by the way , Barack is over there in the corner , checking you out . We ' ve known each other for a long time , and His Majesty has been a great friend and leader to his people . The partnership between the US and Jordan is strong and lasting . Today , we talked about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas . It ' s been a tough situation , with Hamas attacking Israel and causing a lot of harm . We ' re also concerned about the Palestinian people who have suffered a lot during this war . It ' s a priority for us to bring back the hostages and ensure long - term security for Israel . We ' re actively working for peace and security for both the Palestinians and the Israelis . And I ' ve been working day and night with the King and others in the region to find a way to bring all these hostages home , help with the humanitarian crisis , and put an end to the terror threat in Gaza and Israel . We want to achieve lasting peace with a two - state solution for both peoples . The United States is currently working on a deal between Israel and Hamas to bring immediate calm to Gaza for at least six weeks , and then we can work on something more long - term . I ' ve been in touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu , as well as the leaders of Egypt and Qatar , to move this forward . The main elements of the deals are on the table , but there are still some gaps that need to be filled . We ' re encouraging Israeli leaders to keep working towards the deal , and we ' ll do everything we can to make it happen . The King and I also talked about the situation in Rafah . We believe that any military operation there should have a credible plan to ensure the safety and support of the one million people sheltering there . Many of these people have been displaced multiple times and need protection . We ' ve always been against any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza . Today , the King and I also discussed how to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza . We ' ve been working tirelessly to make this happen , urging Congress to provide aid for Palestinians and working with partners in the region to facilitate the flow of aid . We ' ve managed to open the Rafah Crossing and Kerem Shalom , and we ' re working on opening other routes as well . We ' re also making sure that aid workers can get the aid to those who need it . I want to thank Jordan and the King for their efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza , including their recent air drop of medical supplies . The Queen has also been a passionate advocate for the Palestinian people , especially women and children . Your family ' s leadership , Your Majesty , and humanitarian commitment are really impressive . And at the same time , we ' re working hard to create the right conditions for a lasting peace , like we talked about earlier , with Israel ' s security guaranteed and the Palestinians ' dream of having their own state fulfilled . I say this as someone who has always been a strong supporter of Israel . It ' s the only way to ensure Israel ' s long - term security . But for it to happen , the Palestinians also need to seize the opportunity . As I discussed with the King today , the Palestinian Authority needs to urgently reform so that they can effectively serve the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza . Once Hamas no longer controls Gaza , they need to be ready to build a state that is peaceful and doesn ' t support terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad . And together , we will keep working to accomplish what we ' ve started: bringing peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbors , including a Palestinian state . This effort was already underway before the October 7th attacks , but now it ' s even more urgent . Our allies and partners in the region , including the King , understand this better than anyone . We are grateful for their friendship , especially their unique role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem . We saw their support just two weeks ago when three brave American servicemembers were killed in an attack in Jordan . Since then , we have taken military action in Iraq and Syria , and we will continue to respond . We are thankful for partners like the King who work with us every day to promote security and stability in the region and beyond . These challenging times remind us how important our relationships between nations are . Jill and I are happy to have the King , Queen , and Crown Prince here at the White House today . Your Majesty , the floor is yours . It ' s definitely going to create another humanitarian disaster . The situation is already unbearable for over a million people who have been forced into Rafah since the war started . We can ' t just sit back and let this keep happening . We need a ceasefire right now . This war needs to end . We have to urgently and immediately make sure enough aid gets to Gaza through all possible ways . And thanks , Mr . President , for your support on this . Restrictions on essential aid and medical supplies are causing really inhumane conditions . No other U . N . agency can do what UNRWA is doing to help the people of Gaza through this humanitarian disaster . Their work in other areas , especially in Jordan , where 2 . 3 million are registered , is also really important . It ' s crucial that UNRWA keeps getting the support it needs to do its job . The possibility of Palestinians being forced out of Gaza and the West Bank is really worrying and we can ' t let it happen . But we also can ' t ignore what ' s happening in the West Bank and in the holy places in Jerusalem . Almost 400 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7th , including almost 100 children , and over 4 , 000 have been injured . The actions of extremist settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem ' s holy places and the expansion of illegal settlements are going to cause complete chaos in the whole region . Most Muslim worshippers aren ' t being allowed into Al - Aqsa Mosque . Christian churches have also raised concerns about increasing restrictions and threats . It ' s also important to emphasize that we can ' t accept the separation of the West Bank and Gaza . Seven decades of occupation , death , and destruction have proven that there can ' t be peace without a political solution . Military and security measures won ' t bring peace . Innocent civilians on both sides are still paying for this long - lasting conflict with their lives . We can ' t accept any attacks on innocent civilians , especially those on October 7th . We have to make sure that the horrors of the past few months since October 7th never happen again and aren ' t accepted by anyone . We need to work together with Arab partners and the international community to intensify our efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and start working immediately on creating a political solution that leads to a fair and comprehensive peace based on the two - state solution . That means having an independent , sovereign , and viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital , living peacefully alongside Israel . This is the only solution that ' ll guarantee peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis , and for the whole region . Hey , Mr . President! Your leadership is crucial in dealing with this conflict . Jordan is always ready to work with you for peace . Thanks!
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