ABSTRACT
In 1984, Egypt's President Husni Mubarak, who had taken office in the wake of Sadat's assassination, would repeatedly mention Jordan's vital role in any peaceful solution for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. His political adviser, Usama al-Baz, helped to bring the PLO and Jordan closer together in 1985, although the enforced honeymoon did not last. Yet the concept that lay behind the Egyptian initiative still remained the backbone of the diplomatic effort until July 1988, when Hussein renounced his association with the West Bank. The Egyptian plan called for joint Israeli Palestinian Jordanian negotiations leading to an autonomous Palestine aligned with Jordan. The Egyptian peace agreement with Israel for all intents and purposes left the Palestinian question unresolved, situation that will always have the potential of straining the relationship. On the other hand, it does seem that Mubarak and Hussein developed close personal relationship which explains the intensity of the meetings and the mutual visits in the late 1980s.
