Jordan's foreign minister explains cancellation of summit with us president, Biden. News updated from CNN states that,
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told CNN the cancellation of a summit with US President Joe Biden was made in response to the deadly blast Tuesday at a Gaza hospital, saying the decision was aimed at creating a more favorable environment for addressing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We had a thorough, long discussion with the Americans, and we came to the conclusion that the presidential card, the office of the president, is very important," Safadi said in an interview with CNN's Becky Anderson, highlighting the "key role" the US has in managing the crisis now and beyond. |
"I think everybody reached the conclusion that it is better not to have the president under these circumstances, because what people were expecting was a decision to end the war. That decision was not obviously forthcoming,” he said.
Jordan and the US continue to work toward a solution for the region, Safadi added, saying that the "role of the US is just indispensable."
Safadi's comments come a day after the Tuesday blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Following the blast, Jordan scrapped a planned summit with Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. A White House official told reporters that Biden, who traveled to Israel, would postpone his trip to Jordan after consulting with King Abdullah II. |
Authorities in Gaza have blamed Israel for the hospital blast, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed it was a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group denied the Israeli assertion.
The US currently believes Israel is "not responsible" for the blast, according to the National Security Council. However, in his interview with CNN, Safadi reiterated Jordan's belief that Israel was responsible, saying: |
“Everybody here believes that Israel is responsible for it. The Israeli army is saying it's not ... but to be honest, try and find anybody who's going to believe it in this part of the world."
He urged for an independent international investigation to establish the truth. Source: CNN News
