ZEMACH, Israel -- Jordan's King Hussein on Thursday flew to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to seal the peace with Israel, becoming only the second Arab leader ever to visit the Jewish state.
Hussein and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a document in a blue-bound book marking the exchange of the peace treaties signed on Oct. 26 and later ratified by the parliaments of both countries.
The king said the Israeli and Jordanian people were on the "threshold of a peace which I hope generations to come will cherish, protect and enjoy."
Speaking only a few miles from the disputed Golan Heights which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war, Rabin said he hoped the agreement would give momentum to talks with Syria and Lebanon.
"I hope it will serve as an example to the other countries with which we negotiate peace, with Syria and Lebanon, that they will be convinced by what have achieved together," said Rabin.
The Jordanian monarch, accompanied by Crown Prince Hassan and other top officials, landed at 3:05 P.M. by helicopter and was met by Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Hussein took a casual 10-minute stroll from the helicopter pad to the nearby Beit Gavriel cultural center on the shores of the sea where the bible says Jesus walked on the water.
Hussein, on his first public visit to a country he has often visited secretly, shook hands with an Israeli army officer and students in a crowd of several hundred Israelis gathered for his arrival. He even stopped to kiss a baby girl.
The monarch, the first Arab leader to visit Israel formally since the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, came after Israeli and Jordanian officials opened a new border crossing.
Officials from both countries crossed the Sheik Hussein Bridge, which will serve as a link for trade and tourism, and pledged to build a strong peace.
Transportation Minister Samir Kawwar said at the ceremony the event was a turning point after 46 years of war and hostility. "The chapter of our sad past is giving way to a new age of peace, tranquility and prosperity," he said.
But he expressed concern that foreign governments make good on pledges to support the peace by paying for big-ticket infrastructure projects. Israel and Jordan are counting on the United States in particular to help build power plants, desalination facilities and dams.
There is concern in Israel that the Republican victory in the U.S. elections might signal a period of American isolationism in which President Bill Clinton would be unable to make good on aid pledges.
The treaty between Jordan and Israel was signed Oct. 26 in the presence of Clinton at the Arava border crossing. Hussein stayed on his side of the border and did not enter Israel during that ceremony.
The bridge opening came after the Jordanian parliament's upper house ratified the peace treaty despite opposition by some legislators normally loyal to the throne.
Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat and Hussein are likely to meet this month to try to ease tension over Jordan's peace deal with Israel, a top Palestinian official said Thursday.
"I believe there are no more reasons to prevent the holding of a summit meeting between President Arafat and His Majesty King Hussein this month," Ahmed Korei, in charge of economics in the Palestinian Authority, told Reuters.
The Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty, signed Oct. 26, recognizes a role for the kingdom in supervising Moslem holy places in Jerusalem. The PLO views Jerusalem as capital of a future Palestinian state.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.