Samir Habashneh, a former Minister of Interior who also served as a member of parliament at different points in time, spoke in Salt, renewing his call to strengthen Jordan’s internal resilience in the face of emerging threats.
اضافة اعلان
In his dialogue session hosted by the Mohammad Al-Hamouri Cultural Forum and the Salt Development Foundation at the Salt Cultural Center, titled “The Repercussions of War and Internal Resilience,” as part of the forum’s “The Question of Resilience and Renaissance” series, Habashneh addressed the country’s domestic situation with frankness, while maintaining a measured tone.
He proposed solutions and, in the context of regional developments, stressed the need to strengthen Jordan’s internal resilience.
He also renewed his previous call to arm Jordanians, license their weapons, and revive the concept of the popular army.
He called for improving Jordan’s internal situation and strengthening its military and social resilience, expanding national service to include all young people after completing their university studies, and making use of retired members of the armed forces as a reserve force supporting the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Habashneh also argued that the two-state solution has been abandoned, while 70 percent of the Gaza Strip has been occupied, in addition to the occupation of territories in Lebanon and Syria.
He said the occupation is seeking to drive Palestinians from their land, while emphasizing that the Palestinian people remain strong despite increasing pressure on Palestinians.
He also discussed Jordanian-Palestinian relations, the unity of Jordan’s domestic front, and his rejection of sub-national identities.
This approach to political analysis is avoided by many, as a majority of former officials prefer not to speak openly about potential threats due to the sensitivity of such issues.
Habashneh, however, clearly assumes that a confrontation with Israel is inevitable.
Otherwise, why would he call for licensing weapons for Jordanians, a broad return to the popular army, and military training programs for young people?
Despite being a former minister, Habashneh did not shy away from acknowledging that the chronic problem lies in the lack of trust between governments and the people, as well as between parliament and the public.
He stressed that public sentiment and the collective conscience should be the proper standards for judging matters.
He also addressed the performance of the House of Representatives, saying that a strong MP operates freely by 70 percent, while some members of parliament operate with no more than 5 percent freedom, citing parliamentary decisions that have negatively affected the relationship with the public.
The strength of his remarks about governments and parliamentarians lies in their lack of personal targeting.
His criticisms remained within the broader context of improving Jordan’s domestic situation and strengthening national resilience, without resorting to loaded or inflammatory language.
The significance of Habashneh’s seminar, and the many issues raised during it, lies in its timing.
It demonstrates that not every former official is driven by personal motives, and that there are times when the participation of former officials in public affairs is both necessary and valuable.
We should not leave people facing a vacuum; rather, we should encourage every former official who enjoys public credibility to engage with citizens and speak to them, particularly as part of efforts to restore and strengthen mutual trust within Jordan.
We need a Council of State Experts, bringing together respected and capable figures with political, economic, and social expertise to play an advisory role in guiding public policy.
Such a council could help us overcome the weakness of active and influential elites in Jordan and prevent us from remaining overly dependent on representative institutions that may not always fully perform their role for various reasons.
This council would also be capable of presenting alternative perspectives on any circumstances Jordan may face, particularly developments that point to challenges on the horizon.
