Full Breakdown
Secret 1993 Talks Between Shimon Peres and King Hussein Lay Groundwork for the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty
9/8/2026, 10:50:06 PM
Core Event: Secret Meeting in Amman
In early November 1993, Israel’s foreign minister Shimon Peres met privately with King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan at the king’s palace in Amman. The encounter was arranged under strict secrecy: Peres altered his appearance, crossed the Allenby Bridge with a small Israeli delegation, and Jordanian officials concealed his identity. The meeting was scheduled for November 2 after a royal message on October 26, 1993 requesting the discussion. During the talks the two leaders exchanged personal reflections, outlined a vision for regional economic cooperation, and initialed a memorandum of understanding that night.
Background & Context
The dialogue built on covert contacts that began in the 1980s, including Peres’s 1987 attempt to negotiate under the London Agreement. Both leaders felt urgency—Hussein warned that his “life expectancy” for achieving peace was limited, while Peres emphasized acting hand-in-hand with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The secret talks were part of a broader effort that culminated in the formal peace treaty signed in the Arava desert in October 1994.
Timeline
- October 26, 1993 (scheduled) – The Jordanian palace prepared a message indicating King Hussein’s wish to meet Peres.
- October 1994 – Israel and Jordan signed their peace treaty, cementing the diplomatic breakthrough initiated by the secret contacts.
Data & Statistics
- The minutes record that Peres proposed an “informal non-paper” summarizing the discussion for Rabin’s review.
- Both leaders initialed a memorandum of understanding on the night of the meeting.
- The peace treaty was signed less than a year later, establishing a bilateral framework that has endured for more than three decades.
Official Statements & Responses
Chemi Peres, chairman of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, described the documents as a testament to his father’s vision of “changing reality” through peace. Efrat Duvdevani, director-general of the same center, called the encounter a “moral obligation” that highlighted King Hussein’s awareness that his remaining years should be spent securing a legacy of peace.
Why It Matters
The clandestine 1993 talks provided the first concrete blueprint for the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, linking economic projects—ports, aviation, roads—with security guarantees. The release of the minutes on the tenth anniversary of Peres’s death offers scholars rare insight into the personal motivations and strategic calculations behind one of the Middle East’s most enduring peace agreements.
