New York — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday participated in a
one-on-one panel with Al-Monitor President Andrew Parasiliti at the Middle East
Global Summit, held by Al-Monitor and Semafor media organizations, and attended
by international political and media figures, according to a Royal Court statement.
اضافة اعلان
The conversation, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania and Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Hussein and Prince
Hashem, covered the latest developments in the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Jordan’s efforts towards peace and regional
integration, as well as pressure on the Kingdom due to hosting refugees and the
developments in Syria.
Responding to a question on the possibility of moving forward with
the peace process, King Abdullah said there are “two elephants in the room”.
“One is Palestinian transition and the future for the younger
generation of leaders,” His Majesty said, noting that “part of the challenge is
we Jordanians, Arabs, Israelis, Americans do not know who the younger
generation of Palestinians are” and it is important to be able to reach out to
these young voices.
The second elephant in the room is where is Israel going and “how
can we have an understanding of a political horizon”, the King said.
His Majesty reiterated the importance of investing in regional
projects to break down barriers, benefit all sides, and pave the way towards
working for peace.
Commenting on US efforts to pursue peace between Saudi Arabia and
Israel, the King said such a step “brings us through a new horizon”, but “part
of the challenge is with the Israeli government. This belief, and by some in
the region, that you can parachute over Palestine, deal with the Arabs, and
work your way back. That does not work.”
“There is something that Saudi Arabia wants, there's something
that the Israelis want, there's something that the Americans want; what you
have to add to that component is what do the Palestinians get out of it? And
actually, what does the region get out of it, because we're all invested in
this together,” His Majesty said.
The King called for looking at the bigger picture and not thinking
tactically.
His Majesty also discussed the dwindling international attention
and support for the refugee crisis, warning that “this is a problem that's
going to come back and haunt all of us”, due to instability in south Syria.
The King highlighted Jordan’s efforts to provide health and
education services to refugees, as well as opportunities for employment, noting
that “we're getting nothing compared to what we as a government are trying to
put into support”.
“That can only get worse with the challenges that we have in the
region, if we have another wave of refugees,” His Majesty warned.
Turning to Jordan’s efforts to bolster regional cooperation, the
King spoke about the trilateral framework with Egypt and Iraq, and the
opportunities for regional projects in water and energy conveyance, railroad
infrastructure, and logistical bases to benefit the three countries and the
entire region.
His Majesty concluded the conversation by noting the vast
opportunities in the region, stressing that the potential for economic
prosperity is what breaks down borders “because at the end of the day, most
people will vote for peace, if they can put food on the table for them, for
their loved ones”.
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