Ron Prosor
Photo: Uri Porat
Feeling the heat. Naveh
Photo: Danny Salomon
Foreign Ministry looks to patch Jordan rift
Ministry head to visit Amman Thursday following comments by Central Command Chief that King Abdullah may be ‘last king of Hashemite dynasty’
Foreign Ministry Director General Ron Prosor, along with another senior official, will set out to the Jordanian capital Thursday, where they will meet Jordan's Prime Minister Dr. Marouf Bakhit and senior officials.
The visit follows comments by Central Command Chief Yair Naveh, who said during a closed lecture two weeks ago that Jordan's King Abdullah could be the last king in the Hashemite dynasty.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni ordered Prosor to carry out the visit, in order to ensure that relations between Jerusalem and Amman are good.
Diplomatic sources said that despite the fact that Jordan was offended by Naveh's comments, and demanded that Israel deal with the issue, relations between the two states were not significantly harmed.
Proof of that is the meeting between Prosor with high ranking Jordanian representatives such as the prime minister, according to the source, and not with a relatively lower-level politician.
'Rich heritage and promising future'
Although Naveh's comments caused tensions between the two countries, since press reports about the issue and its backlash, the Jordanians have lowered their profile.
The furious Jordanians telephoned the Foreign Ministry after the report, and complained about the comments – even demanding that steps be taken against the Major General.
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke with King Abdullah after the report. Jordanian news agency Petra claimed that Olmert apologized, but the Prime Minister's Office said that the conversation was not initiated by Olmert, but "scheduled in order to straighten things out."
Following the comments, the Defense Ministry released a statement saying that "Israel sees Jordan as a stable and strong state with a rich heritage and a promising future."
Chief of Staff Dan Halutz called on major generals to "show caution and sensitivity."
