(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Pinhas Inbari - The new Jordanian prime minister, Dr. Bisher Khasawneh, sworn in on Oct. 12, who was the king's political adviser, has reportedly held extensive talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the past six months. It was also reported that he has a close connection to Jared Kushner, President Trump's Middle East Peace Plan architect, as well as special ties to Egyptian President al-Sisi. In Saudi Arabia, the government has begun the evacuation of 20,000 people from the al-Huwaytat tribe from territory along the Red Sea coast in Hijaz province to construct NEOM, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious plan for a future city based on hi-tech and tourism. Human rights advocates claim the evacuation so far has been abusive and violent. The al-Huwaytat tribe is a large tribe that established the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with the help of Great Britain. Today, members of the tribe in Jordan are worried about the fate of their brothers in Hijaz. In presenting his government, Prime Minister Khasawneh laid out 12 planks for his government's platform. The Palestinian issue and the "Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites" were only the 11th item. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs correspondent, is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
2020-10-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive