Jordanian Ambassador Dr Ali Al-Ayed
צילום: אלי אלגרט
New Jordanian Ambassador arrives in Israel
New Jordanian Ambassador, Dr. Ali al-Ayed, arrives in Israel; Foreign Ministry welcomes appointment
The Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv wore a festive look on Tuesday. The reason: The kingdom's new Ambassador, Dr. Ali Al-Ayed, arrived in Israel filling a post that has been occupied by the deputy ambassador for 6 months.
The Ambassador was welcomed by Jordanian and Israeli officials at the Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Al-Ayed served in the Tel Aviv embassy in the past and is known for having established strong relations with Israeli officials.
He served as deputy ambassador in Israel until 2005, when he returned to Jordan to serve as advisor to Jordanian Prime Minister Dr Maarouf al-Bakhit.
Officials at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem welcomed al-Ayed's appointment. "The political process is very important to the Jordanians and it is important for them to hear and make their position heard. They selected a brilliant diplomat who knows us and who is familiar with the issues at hand," on official said.
One of the challenges facing al-Ayed is to press Israel to abandon its unilateral realignment plan in favor of a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians.
"Al-Ayed is a veteran and experienced diplomat who's coming at an interesting time, at a time full of challenges. There are opportunities and risks, certainly in light of the latest developments. The Jordanians are concerned by the realignment plan and King Abdullah told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of his worries explicitly during their last meeting. They are very worried about the implications of the plan and wish to be part of the peace process in the region," the official said.
The new ambassador submitted his credentials to Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem.
Al-Ayed said relations between the Jewish State and the Hashemite Kingdom are good and he looks forward to assisting in efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
