Prince Hassan bin Talal has said that achieving a just peace in the region continues to be obstructed by the absence of an Israeli government willing to accept it, stressing that the core of the problem lies in the ongoing management of the conflict rather than efforts to resolve it. He also asserted that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are occupied territories, not disputed ones.
اضافة اعلان
The remarks came during an interview conducted by journalist Yalda Hakim, broadcast the evening of the day before yesterday on the British channel Sky News as part of the programme "The World with Yalda Hakim".
Hassan said Jordan had sought for more than three decades to achieve a peace grounded in justice, and that the obstacle had never been the absence of a partner seeking peace, but rather the absence of an Israeli government prepared to accept it.
He criticised the Israeli government's approach to handling criticism directed at it, saying it resorted to deflection and discrediting its critics rather than changing its policies.
On the current state of diplomatic relations between Jordan and Israel, Hassan noted that formal ties continue, but that the exchange of ideas and genuine communication between the two sides has become almost non-existent, with contact occurring only through third parties. He also pointed out that European and Western countries have begun to take clearer positions on Israeli settlement activity, which he described as the central issue that cannot be ignored at this stage, given the extensive destruction in Gaza.
Hassan cited United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3236 of 1974, which affirmed the Palestinian people's inalienable rights, including self-determination, national independence, sovereignty, and the right of return. He rejected Israeli accusations against Jordan of stripping Palestinians of their rights, affirming that the kingdom does not accept stripping individuals of their nationality or treating them as second-class citizens.
On regional affairs, Hassan said Jordan finds itself constantly in the path of the repercussions of regional crises by virtue of its geographical position. He stressed the importance of dialogue, even with adversaries, as the path to stability, recalling that this approach had been the basis for reaching the peace treaty. He noted that the breach of Jordanian airspace by missiles and drones, amid escalation linked to Iran, the United States, and Israel, represents not merely a security challenge but an infringement on national sovereignty, and reveals the extent to which Jordan is exposed to the consequences of conflicts it played no part in starting.
Hassan called for restoring a human dimension to the approach taken on regional issues, noting that the Levant and its surrounding region are home to hundreds of millions of people who cannot be reduced to statistics or viewed solely through the lens of their natural resources. He closed by reaffirming that Jordan does not want to become an arena for conflicts originating elsewhere, and by stressing the need to respect state sovereignty and address the root causes of disputes rather than simply managing them.
This article was originally written in Arabic by Al Ghad.
