January 10 In History: The King Of Jordan's Historical Visit To Israel

JAKARTA - King Hussein of Jordan made his first public visit to Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv on January 10, 1996. The visit indicated the increasingly intimate relations between the two countries since signing the peace agreement two years ago.

The king, who is an experienced pilot, flew his own helicopter to the Sde Dov air base near Tel Aviv. There he was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

This was Hussein's first visit since the two countries declared peace on October 26, 1994. For this reason, Peres, in his meeting with Hussein, also offended the negotiators who brokered the peace.

"We still face all kinds of challenges. The biggest one of them is not to let the prospect of a fleeting peace pass by," Peres was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"I want to say how happy we are to have the opportunity to be with our friends, our partners in building and laying the groundwork for comprehensive peace in the region," replied Hussein.

Israel and Jordan ended 46 years of war with a peace agreement in 1994 that was endorsed by US President Bill Clinton. The deal drew criticism from Jordanians, 60 percent of whom are Palestinian.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) officials criticized Hussein's visit. They said he should have visited the land that is under Palestinian rule.

High-level security forces were deployed during the visit. About 6,000 Israeli police are deployed to protect it, and the center of Tel Aviv is temporarily closed.

Thousands of Israelis watched Hussein pass. They greeted him enthusiastically. Several Jews were seen brandishing Jordan flag banners and greeting the king in Arabic.

King Hussein did hold talks with Peres. But diplomats stressed the main purpose of the visit was symbolic rather than political.

Of course the king's decision to normalize the Jordan-Israel bilateral relationship sparked the anger of some of his citizens. However, Ḥussein continued to defend the peace agreement until near the end of his life.

Hussein is known as the king of Jordan with the longest reign. He ordered until he died of lymph node cancer on February 7, 1999.