King Abdullah: May be too late for peace

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AMMAN, Jordan, March 19 (UPI) -- King Abdullah of Jordan expressed fear in a magazine interview time is running out on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In one of a series of interviews with The Atlantic published Monday, Abdullah said ties with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are "very strong ... and discussions have really improved," but refused to elaborate further on his relationship with the Israeli prime minister.

Abdullah, an advocate of the two-state solution, in an earlier interview expressed fear "it could be too late already for the two-state solution. ... Part of me is worried that [it] is already past us."

"If Israel doesn't agree to a Palestinian state quickly, apartheid or democracy will be its choice," he said. "The practical question is, can Israel exert permanent control over Palestinians who are disenfranchised ad infinitum, or does it eventually become a South Africa, which couldn't survive as a pariah state?"

Asked to comment on whether U.S. President Barack Obama, as a second-term president, will have more leverage, Abdullah said that's "the million-dollar question."

"This is the last moment. Can it be achieved in four years? Are we too late? After four years, it's over," he said.

Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan in 1994.