By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Jordan on Friday and on Saturday Blinken meets with Middle East foreign ministers to hear their stance that calls for an “immediate ceasefire.” The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Egypt and Jordan as well as Palestinian representatives will meet Blinken to reiterate their view which is the “Arab stance calls for an immediate ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid and ways of ending the dangerous deterioration that threatens the security of the region.” Jordan’s ministry put out an official statement on Friday. Meanwhile, Blinken met in Amman early on Saturday with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati whose office put out a statement that said Mikati is highlighting the necessity of obtaining a ceasefire in Gaza and stopping ‘Israeli aggression’ in southern Lebanon.
Blinken has stressed in his talks with Israelis and other leaders that the U.S. doesn’t want a wider conflict in the region and that he has been calling on Israel to do all they can to protect civilians and for a humanitarian ceasefire so more aid can flow into Gaza. On Friday, in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the royal court said that Jordan’s King Abdullah told Scholz it’s extremely urgent that the international community show solidarity in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians. King Abdullah also told Scholz that Israel’s military campaign would fail and that the only way to resolve the conflict is a permanent peace based on negotiations on an independent Palestinian state next to Israel.
