According to a Feb. 28 report by Israeli news site Ynet, Defense Minister Benny Gantz had met secretly in Jordan with King Abdullah II. The meeting apparently took place a few weeks ago. The report did not divulge its sources for this information, nor did it give a precise date for the meeting.

Also, on Feb. 26, during a Zoom meeting with Blue and White party activists, Gantz hinted at contacts with Jordan and also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly damaging bilateral relations.

“I think Jordan is a great asset to Israel, and I think that our relationship with Jordan could be a thousand times better. Unfortunately, Netanyahu is an unwanted figure in Jordan, and his presence harms [relations between the countries]. I have a continuous and ongoing connection with the Jordanian king and other senior Jordanian officials, and I know we can have great achievements,” Gantz said.

Gantz expressed hope for advancing in strengthening bilateral relations, saying, “I believe that it’s possible to do one or two civilian projects each year with Jordan, and within 10 years up to 20 or 30 projects.”