Israel Foreign Relations Israel

This is a country under threat of war? The airport is crowded with travelers coming into, not leaving, Lebanon. Elegant, bejeweled women play cards in the luxurious lobby of the Vendome Hotel. Young people party at the Hard Rock Cafe and stroll nonchalantly on the famous corniche overlooking the Mediterranean.

This is a country under threat of war? The airport is crowded with travelers coming into, not leaving, Lebanon. Elegant, bejeweled women play cards in the luxurious lobby of the Vendome Hotel. Young people party at the Hard Rock Cafe and stroll nonchalantly on the famous corniche overlooking the Mediterranean.

King Abdullah II, Jordan's new monarch, told President Clinton on Tuesday that he is determined to step into the role played so effectively by his late father, King Hussein, as catalyst in the troubled Mideast peace process. Clinton, who hopes to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations after the election of Ehud Barak as Israel's prime minister, welcomed Abdullah's offer of help, administration officials said.

King Abdullah II, Jordan's new monarch, told President Clinton on Tuesday that he is determined to step into the role played so effectively by his late father, King Hussein, as catalyst in the troubled Mideast peace process. Clinton, who hopes to revive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations after the election of Ehud Barak as Israel's prime minister, welcomed Abdullah's offer of help, administration officials said.