King Abdallah of Jordan had harsh words for Israel in his statements to the Wall Street Journal last week. The interview received considerable attention in media and policy circles in both Israel and the United States, not least because of the “rebuke” the monarch directed toward his western neighbor. The criticisms, coming from one of the most moderate Arab rulers, were unfamiliar to the Israelis.
The royal rebuke was directed in particular at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies of expanding settlements in East Jerusalem, which the Jordanian king believed to undermine the last chances for a peaceful settlement on the basis of two-state solution. Most importantly, the king acknowledged the lack of political trust with Israel. He admitted that in economic terms, Jordan was better off before signing the peace treaty in 1994.
It was clear that the king was expressing his dissatisfaction with Netanyahu when he said that the first few months of his reign, some 10 years ago, which overlapped with Netanyahu at the head of government in Israel, were the worst in the history of bilateral relations between the two countries. Referring to the current crisis between President Barack Obama and Netanyahu, Abdallah said he hoped that improved relations between Israel and the United States will bring a peaceful conclusion to the Palestinian problem.
His comments were published few days before he flew to Washington to attend a summit on nuclear security and meet with President Barack Obama. King Abdallah was the first Arab leader to meet the new president in the spring of last year during which he delivered a message from the Arab summit on regional issues, particularly on ways to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the Arab peace initiative.
In the interview the king expressed doubts about the prospects of a peaceful settlement and warned of rising tensions in the region, both in Lebanon and Gaza. He also described Jerusalem as a time bomb that could explode at any moment, and expressed fears of attempts to launch a third intifada, which, in his view, could have catastrophic consequences. He also expressed concern about a military showdown between Israel and Iran.
King Abdallah said Jordan’s job was to keep common sense and hope, and to encourage the parties to return to negotiations. But he warned of the influence of rejectionists, especially in Israel, particularly those promoting the Jordan-is-Palestine option, which Jordan rejects. He warned Israel of the consequences of exporting the crisis to neighboring countries, and said the world would not accept the deportation of millions of Palestinians from their land. He said Israel is failing to solve its long-term problem when, in eight or 10 years, its Arab citizens will constitute half of its population. As a result of all of these factors, the king sees an urgent need to revitalize the US role in the region, first to preserve Washington’s credibility as a mediator, and then to indicate that America is beginning to realize that its interests are at risk in the absence of a just settlement to the Palestinian question, which in the opinion of the Jordanian monarch, is what the American military institution has deduced.
He said that even in the recent Arab Summit in Libya, there have been questions about the efficacy of the moderate Arab approach to seeking a peaceful settlement. Therefore, the king believes that procrastination will harm America’s interests and the future of Israel. Here he posed a question to the Israelis: Wouldn’t it be better today when you’re in a stronger position to make peace not only with your neighbors but with the whole Arab-Islamic world than kicking this problem down the road two or three years where your options become reduced?
The king’s call on Obama to adopt a new approach in dealing with Arab-Israeli conflict coincides with new and important developments on the American arena, especially after the recent crisis between Washington and the Israeli government. The reference to the conclusions of the US military on the importance of resolving the Palestinian issue and its impact on America’s national interests in the region as it fights two wars, points to the findings of Gen. David Petraeus last December, excerpts of which were published in Foreign Policy last month.
It also signifies the king’s displeasure with Netanyahu’s tampering with the status of Jerusalem and its Muslim shrines, where Jordan holds a special role under the peace treaty. For the Jordan, Israeli policies in Jerusalem are tantamount to a blatant assault on their sovereignty, and confirms the arrival of bilateral relations to a new low.
Above all, King Abdallah knows that Obama, who is frustrated with Netanyahu, is studying new options, including the unveiling of a comprehensive peace initiative, the first since Madrid in 1991, based on the Arafat-Barak understandings in Camp David in 2000, with a binding timetable.
Since it signed a treaty with Israel, Jordan opted to play a supporting role in peace negotiations. But King Abdallah is beginning to realize that the policies of the Netanyahu government are putting Jordan and Israel on a clash course.
Today he acknowledges that the peace treaty did not deliver the desired political or economic benefits, and that Israel is leading the region toward confrontations. He is realizing that these are testing times and that it is imperative for him to take a stand and encourage the Obama administration to adopt action. The royal rebuke to Israel signals a change in Jordanian policy, and it says to the Israelis that Jordan will be aggressive in protecting its rights.
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