By Luis Arellano
Israeli authorities are moving forward with a further opening of an important border crossing between Israel and Jordan . The Allenby bridge, know in Jordan as the King Hussein Bridge is set to be opened according to media reports.
While Israeli media outlets are reporting that President Biden will make the announcement, it was the King of Morocco Mohammed VI directly intervened to play a role in this historic border opening by brokering the agreement. Israel’s Minister of Transport, Merav Michaeli praised both the Moroccan monarch and the American president in announcing the news which will be formalized by an announcement by President Biden during his trip the Middle East. Jordan’s King Abdullah II was also praised.
Current hours of the border are from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. during the week as well as reduced hours on the weekend — 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The opening of the border will allow Palestinians in Jordan and Israel to more freely travel between the two states. The opening will also have an impact on air travel. As many Palestinians face a lengthy process to fly out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, many choose to fly from Amman, Jordan.
Morocco and Israel established formal ties for the first time as part of the Abraham Accords initiated by former President Donald Trump in 2020. During his recent trip to the Middle East, President Biden announced his full support for the Abraham Accords:
“We will also continue building on the Abraham Accords, which I strongly support because they deepen, they deepen Israel’s integration into the broader region and establish lasting ties for business, cooperation and tourism,” Biden said during a press conference in Jerusalem.”
Jordan became the second Arab majority country to recognize Israel when it signed an agreement with the country in 1994.
During his trip to Israel Biden will also become the first American president to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia.