Lapid meets Abdullah II on sidelines of UN General Assembly

The two leaders discuss West Bank tensions, including latest violence following PA security's arrest of Hamas operative; Lapid says Israelis set to visit Temple Mount during High Holidays; expects Jordan to denounce incitement

Itamar Eichner|
Prime Minister Yair Lapid met on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
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  • This was the two leaders' second meeting since July of this year, when the prime minister visited the king in his palace in Amman and was billed as an expression of the growing ties between Jordan and Israel as well as the close personal relations between Lapid and the King Abdullah.
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    פגישת ראש הממשלה לפיד ומלך ירדן עבדאללה השני
    פגישת ראש הממשלה לפיד ומלך ירדן עבדאללה השני
    King Abdullah II, Yair Lapid
    (Photo: GPO)
    Lapid spoke of the need to de-escalate tensions on the West Bank, after the surge in violence there, and the need to bloc any attempt at terror, ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, which begin next week.
    The prime minister said Israel could not accept any acts of terror against its citizens or military forces, which will pose a risk to the security of the country.
    The leaders also discussed matters of bi-lateral interest, including economic and civilian cooperation, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
    An official said the men discussed the violence that erupted on the West Bank and especially in Nablus, after the Palestinian Authority security services arrested a senior Hamas operative.
    They talked about the importance of the PA exerting its control over the area, especially in the northern West Bank.
    Violent clashes that continued throughout the day, caused the death of at least one Palestinian protester who was killed by the PA forces.
    According to the official, Lapid advised the king that many Israelis will be visiting Temple Mount around the High Holidays, as has been the custom in recent years.
    "The prime minister expected Jordan to denounce incitement over the visits and support Israel's position," the official said.
    Abdullah told the UN General Assembly earlier that a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict was still out of reach.
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    העצרת הכללית של האו"ם
    העצרת הכללית של האו"ם
    Jordanian King Abdullah II at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday
    (Photo: AP)
    "We must not deny the right of Palestinians to self determination and national identity," he said adding that only a two-state solution with a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders and with east Jerusalem as its capital, would resolve the conflict.
    He also expressed his concern for the future of Jerusalem, as a center for all religions and warned that a violation of the status quo would only cause tension and further rifts between faiths.
    "There is no place for hate in the holy city," he said.
    Abdullah II met earlier with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is also in New York for the General Assembly.
    He told Abbas that the conflict would be resolved only by a two-state solution under UN resolutions and reiterated Jordan's commitment to protect the security and the historic and legal status of the holy sites.
    Lapid is scheduled to address the General Council on Thursday.
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