Documents reveal details of secret meeting between Peres and Hussein
The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation has released documents about a secret meeting between Shimon Peres, then Israel’s foreign minister, and Jordan’s King Hussein, which took place in November 1993 in Amman, Jordan. According to the records, the talks became one of the early prerequisites for the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, signed in October 1994.
As The Jerusalem Post reports, the documents were presented on the day of a state memorial ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Peres’ death and the naming of the Jerusalem International Convention Center after him. The meeting at the royal palace in Amman was held under strict secrecy. The minutes state that Peres’ appearance was altered so that he would not be recognized.
Previous contacts
According to the documents, on October 26, 1993, the Jordanian royal palace received a message that King Hussein wanted to meet with Peres. Hussein regarded the Israeli diplomat as a creative thinker and was ready for a secret meeting as part of preliminary contacts that ultimately led to the peace agreement.
The talks were preceded by years of secret contacts between Israel and King Hussein, including Peres’ attempt to advance an agreement with Jordan within the framework of the 1987 London Agreement.
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Understandings and the peace treaty
During the conversation, Peres presented a vision of regional economic cooperation that could become the basis for a future agreement. It included shared infrastructure, ports, aviation, roads and regional projects. He also proposed preparing an informal document outlining the issues discussed and the understandings reached for further discussion with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
In the minutes, Hussein stressed the need not to waste time in advancing peace and to make difficult decisions for the future of children. Peres, for his part, said there was significant public support for a peace agreement and that young people were tired of wars, poverty and a lack of freedom.
According to the Peres Center, Hussein and Peres initialed a memorandum of understanding that same evening. Less than a year later, in October 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in Arava.
