A senior Jordanian politician says the kingdom hopes Israel’s national elections will produce a new government headed by someone other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Jordan hopes that after these elections, there will be a government led by someone other than Netanyahu, which knows that the only solution to the Palestinian issue is the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Jordanian Senate Speaker Faisal al-Fayez tells The Times of Israel on the margins of the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea in Jordan.

“Netanyahu’s position on the Palestinian issue is known. He is not looking to resolve it and I worry that he may want to annex the West Bank in the future.”

The Senate is the upper house of the Jordanian parliament, which proposes and approves legislation. The king appoints its speaker and members.

Asked about Benny Gantz, Blue and White’s top candidate and Netanyahu’s main challenger, Fayez, who has previously served as Jordanian prime minister and defense minister, says: “We, in Jordan, wish that, if he becomes prime minister, he will be less extreme than Netanyahu and that he will make efforts to advance peace.”

— Adam Rasgon