This shift gains additional importance from a Jordanian perspective, as it clearly approaches the vision led by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein for years, which he re-presented before the United Nations General Assembly: that the security of the region is inseparable from the resolution of the Palestinian issue, and that the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state form the basis for regional stability.
This intersection is not theoretical. Jordan officially welcomed the British measures against settlement products and services linked to their expansion, considering them a step that contributes to protecting the two-state solution, and reiterating its firm position on establishing an independent Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Here, Jerusalem also stands out; confronting attempts to change the reality of East Jerusalem and settlement in it aligns with a steadfast Jordanian position towards the city and its holy sites, and with the historical role of the Hashemite custodianship led by His Majesty the King in caring for Islamic and Christian holy sites. From here, this convergence in positions can open a broader diplomatic space for Jordan to defend the two-state solution and the status of Jerusalem.
But the speech has an internal British dimension that is no less important. Miliband did not say these words before the United Nations, but before the Labour Party conference. When he told critics of the previous policy towards the suffering of the Palestinians: "We hear you, you were right," he was also addressing the party's base and the British voter.
Palestine has become part of the internal British political debate, and the ruling party realizes that its position on it has become subject to electoral and popular scrutiny.
Therefore, messages went out from Liverpool in several directions: to Netanyahu's government that undermining the two-state solution will face measures, to Israeli society that there is disagreement with the policies of its government, to Palestinians that their rights are present, and to the British voter that their voice has been heard.
The real test remains in Miliband's own phrase: We will match words with actions.
If the words turn into sustainable policy, the Liverpool conference may be the beginning of a different phase in the British approach to the Palestinian issue.
Writer and political analyst - London
