VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis and Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday discussed US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move that both say is dangerous to Middle East peace.
Abdullah and the pope spoke privately for about 20 minutes at the start of the king’s visit to the Vatican and France.
A Vatican statement said they discussed “the promotion of peace and stability in the Mideast, with particular reference to the question of Jerusalem and the role of the Hashemite Sovereign as Custodian of the Holy Places.”
King Abdullah’s Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, making Amman sensitive to any changes of status of the disputed city.
When Trump announced his decision on Dec. 6, the pope responded by calling for the city’s “status quo” to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.
Among an outpouring of international criticism, Jordan also rejected the US decision, calling it legally “null” because it consolidated Israel’s occupation of the eastern sector of the city.
The United States was further isolated over the issue on Monday when it blocked a UN Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn.
Both the Vatican and Jordan back a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with them agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process.
Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its “united and eternal” capital.
The statement said both sides wanted to encourage negotiations.
Pope, Jordan’s King Abdullah, discuss Trump’s Jerusalem move
Pope, Jordan’s King Abdullah, discuss Trump’s Jerusalem move
France’s Macron laughs off ‘harmless’ eye condition as he addresses troops
French President Emmanuel Macron joked about a “completely harmless” eye condition on Thursday during a New Year address to France’s armed forces.
“Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye,” Macron said at the beginning of his speech. “It is, of course, something completely harmless.”
Macron appeared with a puffy, red eye during his speech at the military base in Istres, in southern France. He earlier wore sunglasses during an outdoor troop inspection.
“Simply see an unintentional reference to the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ... For those who catch the reference, it is a sign of determination,” he joked, in an apparent reference to the name of the hit theme song by American rock band Survivor from the 1982 Rocky III movie starring Sylvester Stallone.
Macron’s speech addressed key challenges for the military in 2026, from France’s accelerated rearmament and continued support for Ukraine, to the decision to send troops to Greenland in a show of support for Denmark.
