AQABA, Jordan - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met privately with Jordan's King Abdullah II at midday on Thursday in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba.

The trip comes two days before Netanyahu's Saturday evening departure for the U.S. where he'll meet with President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday.

Abdullah has been campaigning in Europe for a regional approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating that Israel enter negotiations with Syria and Lebanon, supported by other Arab countries.

Abdullah shared the same message last month when he met with Obama at the White House.

In an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press at the end of April, Abdullah called on Obama to assume a "forceful" role in Israeli-Palestinian talks and warned that delaying the establishment of a Palestinian state will lead to war in the region.

Abdullah backs the Saudi-initiated Arab peace plan, endorsed by the 22 members of the Arab League, which calls on Israel to cede the Golan Heights, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and divide Jerusalem in return for Arab recognition of Israel's right to exist and the possibility of "normalization" with other Arab countries.

Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab countries with diplomatic ties to Israel.

On Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres will fly to Jordan to meet with Abdullah. Peres is expected to assure Abdullah that the Netanyahu administration is committed to advancing the peace process with the Palestinians.

Source: The Jerusalem Post