Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan’s King Hussein officially sealed the peace between their countries on Thursday, exchanging ratified copies of their historic peace treaty at a ceremony on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Hussein arrived in Israel shortly after Israeli and Jordanian officials inaugurated a second border crossing between their countries.
Marking what was his first public visit to Israel, Hussein revealed to reporters what has long been suspected: that he had visited Israel in secret many times before.
He is the second Arab leader, after Egypt’s former President Anwar Sadat, officially to visit Israel.
Accompanying King Hussein to the ceremony site at the Bet Gavriel guest house on the shores of the Sea of Galilee were Crown Prince Hassan and Jordanian officials who have been involved in the peace talks with Israel. Israeli officials from across the political spectrum attended the event.
In contrast to the Arava desert landscape where the peace treaty was signed on Oct. 26, Thursday’s ceremony took place against the lush background of the Sea of Galilee, known in Israel as the Kinneret.
Referring to the setting, Rabin said, “I believe this is the most beautiful scene to do the most beautiful act – to end our state of war.”
Hussein said Israel and Jordan were on “the threshold of peace, which I hope generations to come will cherish, protect and enjoy.”
He also said he hoped peace agreements with the remaining neighboring Arab states would be reached soon.
Following Thursday’s exchange of the ratified peace treaty, Rabin and Hussein held a working session on the peace process. The two leaders discussed the demarcation of their borders and methods for sharing the scant regional water resources.
Earlier in the day, the northern border crossing between Israel and Jordan was officially opened.
The crossing at the rebuilt Sheik Hussein Bridge, located south of the Sea of Galilee near Kibbutz Maoz Haim, is the second border crossing to be opened since Israel and Jordan decided to make peace.
Israelis watched the opening of the northern border crossing on Jordanian television, which provided live coverage of the event.
Planes flew in formation over the bridge, doves were released into the sky, and schoolgirls from both countries presented bouquets of flowers. After the ceremony, hundreds of Israelis and Jordanians crossed over the narrow green bridge.
In related news, Palestinian sources said Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat hopes to meet King Hussein in Amman, Jordan, soon in an effort to case tensions between the two leaders.
Arafat had lashed out at the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty for its recognition of Jordan’s historic role as guardian of Islamic holy sites in eastern Jerusalem.
A year ago, Jordan was sharply critical of Arafat for reaching an accord with Israel without coordinating the move with other Arab states.
On Wednesday night, Arafat and Hussein spoke by phone for the first time in four months. An Arafat aide said the PLO chairman briefed Hussein on talks he held earlier in the week with Rabin at the Israeli-Gazan border.
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