Jordan’s King Abdullah met Tuesday in the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump, almost exactly a year after sitting down with Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, in the White House on February 12, 2024.
The contrast between the two meetings could not have been more striking.
On Tuesday, Abdullah appeared noticeably uneasy next to Trump, shifting in his chair as the president expanded on his plan to take control of Gaza and relocate its residents, including to a “parcel of land in Jordan.” The king twitched as Trump spoke but offered little pushback.
When asked whether Jordan would accept Palestinians from Gaza, Abdullah sidestepped, deferring to what he said would be a forthcoming Egyptian and Arab plan to be presented later this month in Riyadh.
“I think we have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We’re being invited by Mohammed bin Salman to discussions in Riyadh,” he said, carefully avoiding a direct rejection of Trump’s proposal. Instead, he sought to placate the president by announcing that Jordan would “right away” take in 2,000 children from Gaza who either had cancer or were in a “very ill state.”
“The main thing,” he added nervously, “is to wait for the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the president.”
Abdullah did not challenge Trump’s plan publicly or contradict him outright. He sat there quietly, wary and restrained, notably refraining from criticizing Israel – something he has done frequently since the October 7 massacre in various international forums. Perhaps he understood that this administration would be far less receptive to these gripes.
That restraint was absent in his meeting with Biden a year ago. Then, Abdullah was more assertive.
In addition to their Oval Office meeting, Abdullah and Biden made statements to the press, and the king did not hesitate to voice disagreement with US policy. At the time, Biden was pushing for a six-week ceasefire, but Abdullah, in what The Arab Weekly news site described as “striking a discordant note with the US president,” went further – demanding a complete ceasefire. He openly opposed US policy and did so firmly.
Claiming four months after the war began that “nearly 100,000 people have been killed, injured, or are missing – the majority are women and children,” Abdullah said. “We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end.”
This was not a sentiment he repeated Tuesday alongside Trump, especially after Trump effectively gave Israel the green light to resume full military operations in Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages (it remains unclear whether he meant some or all the hostages) by Saturday at noon.
Abdullah did not openly denounce Trump cutting UNRWA funding
Abdullah was also vocal last year in his defense of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), lobbying for continued funding.
“No other UN agency can do what UNRWA is doing in helping the people of Gaza through this humanitarian catastrophe,” he argued, claiming it serves a “vital” role, including in Jordan. “It is imperative that UNRWA continues to receive the support it needs to carry out its mandate.”
That plea was nowhere to be heard in this week’s meeting. With Trump having signed an executive order last week cutting UNRWA funding and saying the organization has been infiltrated by terrorists, some of whom took part in the October 7 massacre, Abdullah understood that raising the issue was probably not the wisest thing to do.
Last year with Biden, he also slammed “continued escalations by extremist settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem’s holy sites and the expansion of illegal settlements,” issues he did not publicly bring up alongside Trump on Tuesday. Perhaps he was uncertain where this administration stood on the matter – or perhaps he simply knew better than to press the point.
Two other statements he made alongside Biden did not – with Trump’s recent proposals – age well and were not repeated by the Jordanian monarch.
The first: “The potential threat of Palestinian displacement beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank is something we view with extreme concern and cannot be allowed.”
And the second: “It is also important to stress that the separation of the West Bank and Gaza cannot be accepted.”
With Trump openly proposing to sever Gaza from the West Bank, Abdullah made no mention of this concern in his meeting.
On Tuesday in the White House, a toned-down Abdullah was on display. He did not publicly criticize Israel and did not slam the settlements. He simply sat and listened as Trump talked about his plan to take control of Gaza.
Abdullah clearly disagreed. But he did not voice that opposition – at least not to Trump’s face. Instead, he praised him.
“Mr. President, I truly believe that with all the challenges that we have in the Middle East, I finally see somebody that can take us across the finish line to bring stability, peace, and prosperity to all of us in the region,” he said.
Only afterward, on X, did Abdullah voice any real pushback, stating that he had “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.”
But even that, he tried to soften, adding after pledging fealty to the two-state solution: “President Trump is a man of peace. He was instrumental in securing the Gaza ceasefire. We look to the US and all stakeholders in ensuring it holds.”
A year ago, Abdullah stood beside Biden and openly took issue with US policy. This time, he sat beside Trump and held his tongue. The shift was unmistakable – a clear indication that the new reality in Washington is sinking in.