King Abdullah II and President Obama (AP)
"The Arab Peace Initiative is very much alive, there is no expiry date. There were calls for it not to be open-ended, and I believe for the Arab Peace Initiative to survive, to succeed and to be effective there has got to be a partner that accepts it."How do you see Jordan’s role in the Middle East?
Jordan’s geo-strategic location, its interaction and close proximity with the rest of the countries in the region, its good relations with the world community at large, the West and the United States in particular, the very close coordination that we have with all Arab countries, I think, have enabled Jordan to play as important a role as is needed especially in advancing peace efforts in the Middle East. More importantly, Jordan’s strategic partnership and its sixty-year friendship with the United States is crucial to promoting our shared vision of peace, security and prosperity in our region. We live in a neighborhood that has seen many wars, conflicts and crises that have defined our role – one way or another – to be at the forefront of regional and international diplomatic efforts to resolve the lingering Palestinian-Israeli and wider Arab-Israeli conflict and achieve comprehensive peace.
What are the major challenges in the region?
The biggest challenge is peace. The Middle East conflict, the Arab-Israeli conflict, at the heart of which is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is no longer something that can be described as a local or regional conflict; it’s a global conflict, and therefore it is in everyone’s interests to see peace in the Middle East. We had had too many processes, initiatives, that were all aimed at bringing about progress on the ground, and some of them did achieve some progress over the decades, however, I think people in our part of the world are suffering from peace process fatigue, we’ve had too many processes and not enough peace. But I think the time now has come to do away with the word process and spare no effort at bringing about direct negotiations aimed at arriving at the endgame that we all want to see. That is, the two-state solution, an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with a secure Israel as part of regional comprehensive peace, which comprises a solution to Israeli-Lebanese problems, to the Israeli-Syrian problems and that will enable us as a region to tackle other challenges that we face.
His Majesty King Abdullah II always reminds the world that the Arab Peace Initiative is the cornerstone of our efforts at this stage to bring about direct negotiations, an initiative that aims at achieving peace between Palestinians and Israelis, between Arabs and Israelis and then establishing normal relations between Israel and 57 Muslim countries—not only the 22 Arab member countries of the League. I believe that there’s a stake in this for everyone, and once again, peace in the Middle East is very much a U.S. vital national security interest, as much as it is in the interest of the parties directly involved.
So, this is the major challenge. Once the Palestinian-Israeli and Arab-Israeli problem is tackled in its entirety, then it will enable us to face other regional challenges head on in a collective effort; and there certainly is no shortage of challenges in our region.
At the recent Arab League conference there were renewed calls for Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative, but also calls for there to be an expiry date for the Initiative. What do you think is the status of the Arab Peace Initiative, and how do you think it can be moved forward?
The Arab Peace Initiative is very much alive, there is no expiry date. There were calls for it not to be open-ended, and I believe for the Arab Peace Initiative to survive, to succeed and to be effective there has got to be a partner that accepts it. Therefore, I would like to quote from His Majesty the King in his remarks today at CSIS, that it is important for all of us to remember that peace is a win-win situation for everyone. So there were calls to remind everyone that the Arab Peace Initiative is not there indefinitely; it is there provided that a partner accepts it. Israel cannot continue living with a fortress mentality. Israel must see the opportunities that are inherent in the Arab Peace Initiative, which provides the formula whereby 57 Arab and Muslim countries will have normal relations with Israel provided that we arrive at the two-state solution and the comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
To answer your question directly, there is no expiry date at this stage. But there were voices that said, “Well, the peace initiative is on the table for now,” and for now that means acceptance by the other side of the equation, of the existence of this initiative to adopt it, to interact with it and to use it. Obviously one has to acknowledge and admit that there are differences, which I believe will be resolved through direct negotiations. Once again, the endgame is a prize for everyone; it is a win-win situation.
Do you think there is a way to operationalize the Arab Peace Initiative? People have been taking about finding a way to operationalize it; so if this happens on one side, this will happen on the other, rather than just at the end there will be normalization of relations if Israel makes peace with its neighbors.
I believe that it is very important not to set preconditions at this stage. Perhaps it is wise not to preempt what is going to happen in the next few weeks. As you know, President Obama has issued invitations to the Palestinian president, the Egyptian president and the Israeli prime minister to visit Washington to have talks at the White House. I believe that when this happens, the president and the U.S. administration will formulate its policy, which would hopefully comprise a plan of action on how to move the parties to direct negotiations as soon as possible. I believe that there is an acceptance on the part of the U.S. administration, President Obama and his team, and Secretary Clinton, of the urgency of the situation.
When we say urgency, perhaps some people, might be cynical and say, every year we’ve said the urgency of the situation, and it is true because there are so many developments that are rapidly taking place on the ground all the time. But I think there is an acceptance by everyone that 2009 is going to be a crucial and decisive year. If operationalizing the Arab Peace Initiative, if you will, means taking bold steps, I believe everyone has to take bold steps.
His Majesty was also very clear that for the United States to lead this effort, which is very much required, all of us will need to ensure that we don’t leave the United States to do the heavy-lifting on its own. There are commitments that we all have to live up to. The endgame, as I said, is something that is very much worth our while. We will hopefully see a Palestinian state, an independent, viable, contiguous Palestinian state, and assurances for Israeli security. Every Israeli seeks security for the future as an individual and for Israel as a state, but Palestinians also have been yearning to establish their own state and live a free, independent life.
Let’s talk about a couple of those other challenges. How has the Iraq war affected Jordan and what is Jordan’s current relationship with Iraq?
We have a very good relationship with Iraq and with the Iraqi government. No doubt that the events in Iraq over the last few years have affected us. We are a country that is contiguous to Iraq. We have had solid trade relations with Iraq. We’ve got somewhere in the region of 500,000 Iraqis in Jordan as a result of the last four or five years, or more even. This has certainly created a burden on our national infrastructure and economy. We keep reminding the world that Jordan is one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of water resources and this has been an added strain on our water resources, education system, health.
Today, we hope that the political solution which is required in Iraq will be an all-inclusive one. We feel that Prime Minister Maliki is doing his utmost towards that end. Jordan is ready to lend a helping hand when needed to ensure continued stability, security and safety for Iraq.
What can Jordan and other of Iraq’s neighbors do to push that agenda forward?
Well as I said, we cannot interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, but we certainly help wherever Iraq feels a need for our help. Again, in the context of the Arab League, for example, we certainly support all the efforts of the Iraqi government to consolidate the political process that is aimed at preserving the territorial integrity and the future political stability of Iraq.
Another one of the regional challenges is Iran. What is Jordan’s policy towards Iran?
Iran is an important neighbor to our region. We hope that Iran will play a positive role to bring about peace and stability in our region. I cannot emphasize enough that the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in particular, need to be sorted out from within the region so that we can address the challenges from outside the region in a separate way.
Our position is very clear; our foreign policy is based on the non-interference in the internal affairs of others, as we expect others not to interfere in our internal affairs. I think it was best described by the Saudi foreign minister after his meeting with the Iranian foreign minister a few weeks ago, when he said that we always welcome Iran’s support for Arab issues, so long as this support enters through the legitimate Arab institutions. And we certainly feel that the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in particular, have to be sorted out from within the region.
In terms of the nuclear file, I would say that we are firm believers in the right of every country to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under international supervision according to international standards. We are pursuing our own peaceful nuclear energy program, because we import more than 95 percent of our energy. And we support any country that pursues a nuclear program for peaceful purposes. As long as a nuclear program does not threaten the security of the Gulf region and the inner Arab world, and is under international supervision, it is the right of any country to do so.
To go back to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict specifically, what is Jordan doing, what can Jordan be doing, to help these two sides reach an end to their conflict?
Well we are certainly not distant from the Arab-Israeli conflict or the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as you know, historically and geopolitically; we have also had our share of hosting Palestinian refugees over many decades; in fact, we are the largest host of Palestinian refugees. And the ultimate settlement, between Palestine and Israel, will have certain areas where Jordan is affected whether it’s in terms of refugees, security, borders and Jerusalem. And we all have a stake in the overall solution, which is the establishment of a Palestinian state, the security of Israel and a comprehensive peace. We are a country that is contiguous to the occupied Palestinian territories and to Israel itself, and I think that in itself is a reflection of how closely we are intertwined with the problems they face.
How do you see the United States engaged and how would you like to see the United States engaged in these other challenges?
Like I said, the Arab-Israeli conflict, even in its entirety, is a U.S. national interest, because it is a global conflict with global repercussions. Instability in the Middle East will have a ripple effect on many regions of the world, not to mention extremists and extremist ideology, who somehow subscribe to the thought that Palestine is the headline for whatever ideology they are propagating. Therefore, a solution to this crisis is something that, again, will be a win-win for everyone and it will deprive extremists around the world from using the Palestine issue or Palestine question, once it’s resolved, as an excuse. That’s on the one side.
On the other hand, the president has been very clear in his commitment to the two-state solution, to the comprehensive nature of the solution that is required, and to the Arab Peace Initiative as a vehicle to arrive at the end that we all seek, which is a two-state solution. I believe that creative ideas by the United States, if the negotiations are faltering or if there’s a deadlock, can bring the people directly involved, the people representing the two sides of the equation, back together again, and ensure that the end game is in sight and that the parameters are well set. The United States can and should play a leading role in this.
How do you see Jordan’s relationship with Syria changing or has it changed over the past few months or past few years?
We have good relations with Syria. I had discussions with the Syrian foreign minister just before I came with His Majesty on this trip. The Syrians have expressed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative and to the principle of land for peace. And we are now just waiting for the policy formulation on the part of the Israeli government so that we can restore negotiations on multiple tracks. Once again, the cornerstone is Palestinian-Israeli, but then there are the Syrian-Israeli and the Lebanese-Israeli tracks that need to be tackled. And overall, they represent the comprehensive solution that we all seek. Our contacts with Syria are ongoing and we should not forget that Syria is a neighbor of Jordan’s and we are in touch and we coordinate closely and we are all in agreement on the need to uphold the Arab Peace Initiative.
