Jordanian King Abdullah II met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak Tuesday night and demanded that Israel ease up on counterterrorist operations in Gaza and offer more concessions to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The two Israel leaders flew in secret to Amman in two separate helicopters.
Behind King Abdullah's concern are growing fears of unrest in his own country. The main opposition group in Jordan led a protest of approximately 1,000 people this week to protest the closing of Gaza crossings, a measure that Israel has taken because of the resumption of massive rocket and mortar attacks on the western Negev.