Jordan’s king planned visit to Israel in 2023 to strengthen ties between the countries

Jordan’s King Abdullah II expressed interest in making an unprecedented visit to Israel in early 2023, months before the October 7 Hamas attack, according to officials familiar with the talks.

During a meeting in Amman in February 2023 with a senior Israeli official, the king was told there was a major gap between the strong security and military cooperation between the two countries and the lack of meaningful public peace. In response, Abdullah said he intended to make a historic visit to Israel later that year to help boost bilateral ties, shortly after meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his palace in January.

However, rising political tensions, followed by the October 7 massacre and the war in Gaza, made the visit irrelevant. While security coordination has remained close, public and diplomatic ties have cooled as Jordanian public opinion toward Israel hardened during the war.