Jordan's King warns of gloomy future

JERUSALEM, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Failure to achieve a two-state solution jeopardizes the future of the Middle East, Jordan's King Abdullah II said in an exclusive interview with Haaretz.

"Show me the future of Israel 10 years from now. Where do you want Israel to be vis-a-vis its relationship with Jordan and other Arab countries?" the Jordanian king asked in the interview that took place at his palace in Amman.

"It is difficult for an Israeli to look into the future because of the security aspect. But if there is peace and stability, then people can look into the future," the king said.

He described Jerusalem as a "tinderbox" and "major flash point throughout the Islamic world," in talking about recent Temple Mount violence, and said he had raised the sensitivity and sanctity of Jerusalem with every Israeli prime minister.

"It is important to understand the need of ending all settlement activities and other unilateral actions that threaten the identity of the holy city," the 48-year-old Jordanian king said.

Attempts to change the situation in the city could destabilize relations with Jordan and damage efforts to renew negotiations with the Palestinians, the paper quoted the king saying.