In a new soon-to-be-published book, the authors allege that former U.S. President Donald Trump proposed to Abdullah II, King of Jordan, that the Hashemite kingdom take over control of the West Bank. According to the authors, the meeting took place in January of 2018 when the two leaders met in Washington, D.C.
Despite the fact that Israel controls portions of the West Bank and is unlikely to cede the areas populated with Israelis, the discussion centered around the fact that most of Jordan's citizens are Palestinian, in fact, many argue that Jordan, once a part of the British Mandate for Palestine, is the rightful home to the Arab population that identifies as Palestinian.
King Abdullah's response, if the account is accurate, was a shock. According to the authors, the King said he thought he was having a heart attack while Trump was putting the offer in front of him. "I couldn't breathe, I was folded in pain," Abdullah noted. Despite the fact that more than 50% of the country's 9.5 million inhabitants are Palestinian, Jordan denies citizenship to many of them, and the ones that do hold Jordanian citizenship are still considered refugees of Palestine with a right of return to the Jewish homeland should the unlikely Arab demand ever be granted by Israel.
In order to legitimize the claim of 'Palestinian Statehood' within the borders of the Jewish State, King Adbullah's grandfather, for whom he is named, granted citizenship to Arabs living in the West Bank when Jordan annexed it in 1950. After Jordan lost the 1967 six-day war, West Bank residents were still citizens on paper, but not proactive and in 1988, Jordan terminated all citizenship for West Bank Palestinians. It is for these reasons, that the Hashemite Monarchy has feared being overthrown for the entirety of its post-World War II existence.
According to the Balfour Declaration, an Arab State and Jewish State were to be created in Mandatory Palestine, which encompassed Israel and what is known today as Jordan. In 1922, the British separated Palestine into two, creating an area called 'Transjordan' that would eventually serve to be the home of the deposed rulers of the Arabic world and protectors of the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the Hashemites who had sided with the Ottomans during World War I. From that point forward, all talks of fulfilling Lord Balfour's commitment revolved around the sliver of land west of Transjordan, now known as Israel and the West Bank.
Informed Western sources:
— Mudar Adnan Zahran مضرعدنان زهران (@Mudar_Zahran) August 15, 2022
Jordan’s kinglet proposed to senior members of Trump’s adm. to “Have all Palestinians expelled from the West Bank and relocated to Mafrag, East Jordan to end the Palestinian issue, in exchange for $300 billion to be paid to him personally over 20 years”
It must be noted that a Trump representative was not referenced in the book, with the authors claiming numerous requests for verification went unanswered. The book, co-written by Susan Glasser, a staff writer for the New Yorker, and Peter Baker, The New York Times' White House correspondent is called "The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021". From excerpts released by the Washington Post, the book seems to be a 'hit piece' against the former President, trying to portray the unconventional leader as unhinged and uninformed.
The publications that the book's authors work for were highly critical of the President before, during, and after his presidency. Many see the New York Times as being irresponsible in its reporting of false information, such as the 'Russiagate' scandal which was proven to be an attempt by a campaign rival to muddy Trump's name prior to the election. The fact that no Trump official was cited in the book makes any account within it suspect.
I would not get too excited. Trump probably still has no idea where the West Bank is, and King Abdullah II is not what you'd call a reliable source. That said, the focus should be on replacing the moribund Palestinian Authority with a WB/Gaza trusteeship.https://t.co/2UHmdlhJeE
— Elliot Jager אליוט ג'גר (@JAGERFILE) September 15, 2022
However, the account of the Jordanian King’s response is in sync with former negotiations between Jordan and Israel regarding West Bank affairs. Jordan has used the West Bank population to try and destabilize, and delegitimize Israel for much of the country's existence. In 1988, Jordan ceded administrative control over the area and many argue it was this which allowed for the start of the first Intifadah since there were no longer government services offered. The move was widely seen as a way to place an intolerable burden on Israel.
'Shocking' new book claims Trump offered West Bank to Jordan’s King Abdullah II https://t.co/EjYQM2lECZ
— Darby Abbott - Not for Baby Trump.. (@DarbysCastle) September 15, 2022
During the secret meetings between the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and numerous Jordanian officials in the early 1990s, it was frequently reported that Jordan was concerned with who would control their shared border with the West Bank shall a Palestinian state emerge. It was also reported that Jordan had 'no interest in repatriating the West Bank' as part of the peace agreement that was signed in 1994 between Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom.
The book which focuses mostly on Trump and portrays him as clueless and uninformed, further states that an official in his administration told the former president that if he loses the 2020 presidential election, he must damage the Iranian nuclear program. "General Milley then said to his team, 'What the hell are they talking about?'" according to the authors. Although, the Trump official who made the suggestion is not named, nor is the source who reported General Miley's response.
