Israel annexing colonies ‘would be disaster’

Berlin - Jordan’s King Abdullah II said if Israel goes ahead with the idea of annexing all the colonies in the West Bank it would be a “disaster” for attempts to find any two-state solution with the Palestinians.

Speaking after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday, Abdullah said he was “extremely concerned” about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to annex all the West Bank colonies.

He said it will “directly impact” the relationship between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and Egypt, and that “these types of statements are... a disaster to any attempt to move forward to the two-state solution.”

Merkel agreed, calling Netanyahu’s vow “unhelpful.”

Abdullah added that “we’re looking on this with tremendous concern.”

Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war.