Crist meets king, tours ancient city
By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published June 4, 2007
PETRA, Jordan - Gov. Charlie Crist concluded his Mideast trip Sunday by meeting the king of Jordan and making a brief but memorable visit to the ancient mountain city of Petra, a wonder to all who see it.
The governor, eager to show he's a leader with depth and vision, met for a half hour with Jordan's King Abdullah II at his palace in Amman.
Crist was treated like royalty in Jordan. He flew from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Amman on a military helicopter piloted by the Jordanian air force, with an Israeli chopper escort to the Jordan border, and a fleet of shiny silver Mercedes and BMW sedans whisked the governor's party to the king's residence.
Crist and U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, said they discussed a wide range of topics with the 45-year-old king. They included Iran's development of nuclear weapons, the Arab-Israeli conflict and even the king's interest in tapping Florida's expertise in developing golf courses in Jordan.
Some common ground
To the governor's surprise, the two leaders share an interest in promoting physical education.
"He talked about the region, he talked about what's happening in Iraq, he talked about the peace process," said Crist, adding that the king favors "more engagement" by the U.S. government in seeking a lasting Middle East peace.
Crist's meeting with Abdullah was the governor's chance to open a channel with an Arab leader who is a U.S. ally and is seen as a moderate voice in the ongoing tension between Israelis and Palestinians.
Waiting for Crist on the helipad at the king's residence was Harry Sargeant of Palm Beach County, a fraternity brother of Crist's at Florida State University in the 1970s and a supporter of his gubernatorial campaign last year.
Sargeant loaned a corporate jet to Crist's campaign, and Sargeant's family and companies gave $248,000 to the state Republican Party in 2006.
Sargeant's business interests included providing fuel to U.S. military bases in Iraq. One of his business partners is the king's brother-in-law, Mohammed Al Sadeh.
"I have a place in Palm Beach. Harry is my neighbor," Al Sadeh told Crist.
From Amman, Crist flew to Petra, the 2,200-year-old city known for its vast red-tinted sandstone rock formations as high as skyscrapers, featuring elaborate tombs and building facades like the one known as "The Treasury," 130 feet tall.
Petra's tourist trade has grown steadily since the border between Israel and Jordan was opened in 1994, and an effort is under way to include the city on a list of the new seven wonders of the world.
The long helicopter rides between cities Sunday gave Crist a chance to see it all: historic Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the West Bank settlements, the mountains and desert.
All week long, Crist had been welcomed on Israel's streets by constituents from Florida who instantly recognized him -- usually one or two at a time.
Talk of victories
What happened Sunday afternoon in Petra was inevitable.
More than two dozen residents of Volusia County, members of Congregation B'nai Torah of Ormond Beach who were touring the dead city at the same time as Crist, spontaneously cheered when they saw him approach, walking past horses and camels pulling small wooden wagons.
"This is fantastic, that he would arrange his trip just to meet with us," deadpanned Rabbi David Kane, the leader of the tourist group. "It's thrilling."
What is not yet clear is the impact of Crist's week in the Middle East.
He ticked off what he considered the mission's victories: a five-year, $20-million program to entice Israeli firms to expand to Florida; opening of talks with an Israeli aerospace firm; and meeting Jordan's king and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"He has become Florida's ambassador to the world," gushed Wexler, Crist's companion on the trip. "He has enhanced his credentials in the American Jewish community a great deal."
Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or 850 224-7263.