Jordan, Egypt back two-state solution for Israel-Palestine conflict

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan agreed on Tuesday that there could be no concessions on establishing a Palestinian state, after talks in Cairo.

The meeting between the leaders of the two Arab countries that have signed peace treaties with Israel came after US President Donald Trump's administration suggested it would not insist on a Palestinian state for a Middle East peace agreement.

"The two sides discussed ways to push the stagnant Middle East peace process, especially in light of US President Donald Trump's administration coming to power," a presidency statement said, according to Egyptian state media.

A two-state solution "with a Palestinian state... with east Jerusalem as its capital is a nationalist principle that cannot be conceded".

After meeting Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Washington earlier this month, Trump said he would entertain a "two-state and a one-state" solution.

But his ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, later tempered this stance, saying Washington "absolutely" supports a two-state solution but wants new ideas on how to move forward.

The two-state solution – a Palestinian one alongside Israel – has long been the cornerstone of US and international policy, and the seeming US shift was greeted with hostility from other world powers.

Reports emerged this week that Netanyahu met secretly with Arab rulers last year to hear former US Secretary of State John Kerry pitch a regional peace plan.

Sisi also attended the February 2016 talks hosted by King Abdullah II in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, Haaretz said, citing former senior officials in the Obama administration who asked to remain anonymous.

It said Netanyahu reportedly turned down an offer from former Kerry to make peace with Arab states in return for some concessions to Palestinians.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states to have formal peace treaties with Israel.

Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar do not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, but they share informal links.