While much of the media coverage in the coming week will focus on the first Obama-Netanyahu meeting and the United States’ new tougher  stance towards Israel, King Abdullah II of Jordan has been quietly laying the groundwork for a landmark peace deal and making a run at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Just look at these headlines from the past few days:

King Abullah: A moment of truth is here (Foreign Policy)

“Now is the time for the United States to lead, to ensure that no more time is wasted. Failing to act means that we will all lose. The status quo is simply untenable. The dangers are too many and too big to ignore. A moment of truth is here, for all who claim to seek peace and justice. It is a time for partnership, courage and action.”

Today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies I watched King Abdullah of Jordan deliver this strong and powerful message on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Wrapping up a week-long visit to Washington, during which he met with President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, Middle East special envoy George Mitchell, and many others, Abdullah delivered a strong and clear call for American leadership in pursuit of a two-state solution.  I hope that everyone listens.

Jordan King: Arabs must do more on Mideast peace (ATP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Wednesday it was time for Arab and Muslim countries to help the United States do “the heavy lifting” needed to forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Too many times in the past, America has been asked to do all the heavy-lifting,” the king said as he met with Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi one day after delivering the same message at the White House.

“I hope that you will see in 2009 a group of Arab and Muslim countries doing as much as we can to help the United States and allies in the peace process and also deal with a lot of regional challenges that we have,” he told Pelosi.

Jordan King: Israel must accept Palestinian State (AP)

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s king pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to immediately commit to the establishment of a Palestinian state, as he pursues a sweeping resolution of the Muslim world’s conflicts with Israel.

Netanyahu made an unannounced, lightning visit to neighboring Jordan, as King Abdullah II and other regional leaders seek to lay the groundwork for restarting Israel-Arab peace efforts. Abdullah’s lobbying has been in step with the Obama administration’s efforts to link progress on Israel-Arab peacemaking to progress on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

King Abullah breaks precedent to meet Pope

VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The king of Jordan plans to break protocol this Friday when he receives Benedict XVI.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, gave a briefing Monday on the Pope’s upcoming weeklong Holy Land pilgrimage.

The spokesman noted that King Abdallah II will welcome the Pontiff at the airport where he is scheduled to arrive at 2:30 p.m.. And in a particularly unusual gesture, he and Queen Rania will again accompany the Holy Father to the airport when he leaves on Monday.

Pope in Amman: Tribute to King Abdullah

”The Kingdom of Jordan has for a long time been in the front line of initiatives designed to promote peace in the Middle East and the world, encouraging inter-religious dialogue, supporting efforts to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, welcoming refugees from neighbouring Iraq, and trying to put a brake on extremism.” The German pope also called for the affirming and ”defense” of ”religious freedom” and ”inalienable human rights” in the Middle East as a whole. He praised Jordan also for allowing Christians to have freedom to build places of worship.