Just as His Majesty King Abdullah was discussing with visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres the need to stop unilateral actions which “pose a major and real obstacle to peace efforts”, Israel declared that 100 more housing units will be constructed in the West Bank settlement of Shilo.
To say the least, settlements - which are illegal under international law - on occupied Palestinian lands remain a major hurdle to achieving progress in the already stalled peace process.
It is rare that Israeli leaders visit Jordan and even rarer that Jordanian officials make trips to Israel. Yet contact needs to be maintained; Jordan cannot stress enough the fact that Israel has to cease taking unilateral measures that ruin the lives of the Palestinians, change the features of Jerusalem or affect Islamic and Christian holy places in this city holy for all followers of the three monotheistic religions.
Settlement activity is one of these unilateral measures that aim to devour more Palestinian land in a manner that expresses Israel’s real intentions: to continue the decades-old manoeuvre of talking about peace while perpetuating the occupation.
The trouble is that Israel always turns a deaf ear to pleas for peace, oblivious to the damage this does to itself, the region and beyond.
The peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians are deadlocked, for no other reason than the Israeli intransigence, belligerence, arrogance and the fact that the comity of nations allows this state to get away with disregard for its decisions.
Jordan has a stake in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks; our national interests and security are also on the line.
At the same time, the Kingdom has a special role in East Jerusalem’s holy places and shrines, and this role figures high in Jordanian-Israeli relations. The more Israel threatens the religious sites in East Jerusalem the tenser the Jordanian-Israeli relations are.
One hopes the Israeli president listened carefully to the King’s words and will heed the Monarch’s repeated wise advice on how to reach an understanding with the Palestinians.
One also hopes that he takes home the message from Jordan and treats it with utmost seriousness
Again, it is a message for peace-loving Israelis that occupation, land thefts, injustice and the subjugation of another people do not bring peace nor security.
An oppressed people are never controlled nor satisfied until they are free on their national soil.
Only justice can bring peace, security, stability and good neighbourly relations.
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