Amman - The Jordanian government on Tuesday lodged a strongly-worded protest with Israel over discussion in the Israeli Knesset of a proposal envisaging the Hashemite Kingdom as a homeland for Palestinians.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh summoned the Israeli ambassador in Amman Yaakov Rosen and handed him a protest that "categorically rejects the ongoing discussion at the Israeli Knesset on a proposal by one of its members entitled 'two states for two peoples on the two banks of River Jordan'," a statement carried by the official Petra news agency said.

Judeh reiterated Jordan's attitude which supports the establishment of "an independent and viable Palestinian state on the Palestinian national soil in accordance with the two-state solution which should be based on relevant UN references and the Arab peace initiative", the statement said.

The setting up of a Palestinian state that lives in peace with Israel "represents a supreme strategic interest for Jordan", the minister was quoted as telling the Israeli envoy.

The Arab peace plan offers Israel recognition by all Arab states if it pulls out from all Arab territories it occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War, including East Jerusalem which was then part of the Hashemite Kingdom.

The Jordanian government came under mounting pressure over the past days from the Islamic-led opposition, trade unions and local columnists to respond strongly to a proposal put on the Knesset's agenda by extremist deputy Arieh Elad from the National Union/National Religious Party that envisages Jordan as a homeland for Palestinians.

The Jordanian government also came under sharp criticism by opposition parties and trade unions, which form the backbone of a national Jordanian body for derailing normalization of ties with Israel, for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Jordan ahead of his last week's trip to Washington.

US President Barack Obama, who emerged recently as strong supporter of the two-state vision, has failed to sway Netanyahu to approve the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Israeli prime minister has instead offered Palestinians "economic peace".

Jordan and other Arab countries attach special importance to Obama's visit to Cairo on June 4, when he is expected to declare a new initiative for pushing forward the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

Jordan concluded a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab country to do so after Egypt. (dpa)