Peres' Secret Meeting with Jordan's King Hussein Revealed

On the tenth anniversary of Shimon Peres' passing, the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation has declassified documents and quotes from a secret meeting held in November 1993. The clandestine encounter took place between Peres, then Israel's Foreign Minister, and King Hussein of Jordan at the King's palace in Amman. The meeting required Peres to alter his appearance due to the extreme secrecy involved, following a request from the Jordanian royal court on October 26, 1993.

During the discussion, Peres outlined a vision for regional economic cooperation, including modern port and road infrastructure. King Hussein expressed his support for such initiatives, emphasizing the benefit for younger generations. In a poignant moment, the King conveyed a sense of urgency, stating, "In 1951, there was a tragic event, the murder of my father. I want to bequeath the best possible to the future, to my brother Hassan and the entire government. Perhaps I only have a year or two left, I will put everything on the scales."

Peres, in turn, described significant public support for peace, noting that "the youth are weary of wars, poverty, and lack of freedom." That same night, the two leaders initialed a memorandum of understanding that laid the groundwork for the official peace treaty signed in October 1994, a year after their secret meeting.

Chemi Peres, Chairman of the Peres Center, expressed his emotional response to the newly revealed documents. Efrat Duvdevani, CEO of the Center, stated that it is a moral obligation to heed the leaders' "peace testament."