Jordan tries to unblock peace talks

The King laid a wreath where Yitzahk Rabin was shot

Jordan's King Abdullah has made a rare visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories in a significant diplomatic bid to unblock the Middle East peace process.

Second chances are rare and third ones unheard of

King Abdullah

He urged both the Israeli and the Palestinian leaders - with whom he held separate talks - not to miss a chance to strike a peace deal.

"Second chances are rare and third ones unheard of," the King said at a welcoming speech in Tel Aviv.

"Let us not waste this opportunity of ending a conflict that has consumed so much in human life."

The King discussed Jerusalem with Arafat

King Abdullah said he hoped his own country's 1994 peace deal with Israel would serve as an example.

His visit follows heightened diplomatic efforts to push forward the peace process, which reached its most serious impasse after the collapse of the US-sponsored Camp David talks in July.

Earlier on Tuesday, the King visited Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank, where he discussed the thorny issue of Jerusalem.

Support for both sides

King Abdullah appeared to show some support for both sides' interests.

In a speech in Tel Aviv, he reaffirmed his support for the Palestinians bid to have East Jerusalem as their future capital.

But he added "the Israelis have the right to know that they have solid partners that they can live and interact with."

The King also spoke to former Israeli First Lady Leah Rabin

He also praised the Israeli leader Ehud Barak warmly, comparing him with the late former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The King laid a wreath where Mr Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing Jewish extremist opposed to his peace policies.

He told Mr Barak that Mr Arafat was sincere in reaching a peace accord.

But Mr Barak called on the Palestinians to do more towards peace, saying Israel had already proved "its determination to complete the cycle of peace".

Jordan's role

Jordan is the country most closely-tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It shares the longest borders with Israel and is also home to 1.5 million Palestinian refugees.

King Abdullah has said his country should receive a large share of a future compensation package for Palestinian refugees.

The total of 3.5 million UN-registered Palestinian refugees scattered around several countries in the region are a key issue in the peace process.