Jordanian King Abdullah: Two-state solution for Israel and Palestine is the foundation for peace in the Middle East

Addressing the start of the Arab summit, Jordanian King Abdullah stated that there will be no peace in the Middle East until a Palestinian state is formed as part of a two-state solution as the foundation for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement, Patria reports.

He stated that Jordan's western neighbor, Israel, is destroying the chances for peace by intensifying settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territory, Reuters writes.

- Israel continues to expand settlements and destroy the chances for peace... There will be no peace or stability in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of a two-state solution, emphasized Jordanian King Abdullah.

Divided Arab leaders attending the one-day summit will strive to find common ground to reaffirm their commitment to the long-term goal of establishing a Palestinian state.

Palestinians want Arab East Jerusalem – which Israel occupied in the 1967 war and later annexed in a manner not internationally recognized – to be the capital of their future state, which will encompass the West Bank occupied by Israel and Gaza.

King Abdullah, whose dynasty is the official custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, says any "unilateral" move by Israel to change the existing situation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock could have "catastrophic" consequences for the future of the region, Reuters writes.