Rabin, Clinton & Hussein
"This is where U.S. leadership is most vital. Only the United States can ensure that the parties think and act in strategic terms and set a direction towards the two-state settlement. This settlement is a Jordanian national interest and it is also in the vital interest of the United States."In an interview with Haaretz on October 9, King Abdullah said that Jordan’s relationship with Israel was “getting colder.” Fifteen years after the peace treaty between the two countries was signed, what is the status of the relationship between Israel and Jordan? If it is indeed getting colder, how can it be improved?
When we signed our peace treaty with Israel in Wadi Araba on October 26, 1994, we in Jordan hoped the treaty would not only bring peace to Jordanians and Israelis but also lay a firm foundation for a just and comprehensive peace in our region. That was His Majesty King Hussein’s vision that His Majesty King Abdullah continues to lead with today.
Unfortunately, today, we have not achieved comprehensive peace. The Arab-Israel conflict remains a source of instability, tensions and hopelessness in the region. So despite our peace treaty with Israel, we cannot live in a peaceful and secure neighborhood as long as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lingers on. The perpetuation of the conflict affects Jordan and Jordanians and certainly impacts our relations with Israel. Our bilateral relations with Israel do not exist in a vacuum.
As His Majesty King Abdullah said to Ha’aretz, we continue to have contacts and exchanges with Israeli officials. However, the missing piece, or the missing peace is that between our two peoples.
King Abdullah has been a leading voice in support of President Obama’s early engagement on the Arab-Israeli conflict and yet, recently the King said that he “expected more, sooner.” What do you think are his concerns about the pace of these efforts? And what would Jordan like to see happening?
As His Majesty King Abdullah has said on many occasions, we in Jordan not only appreciate President Obama’s early engagement in the Middle East peace process, but we are also fully supportive of his personal commitment to bringing peace to our region and his administration’s efforts to move the process forward. After all, we all have a stake in bringing about a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the region where the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved, an independent Palestinian state is created and where Israel lives in peace and security amongst its Arab neighbors. And we will continue to work hand in hand with our friends in the Obama administration and in the Arab world to bring Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table to discuss final status issues: borders, settlements, Jerusalem and refugees, in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace. We must tackle the issue head on with a clear action plan. This is where U.S. leadership is most vital. Only the United States can ensure that the parties think and act in strategic terms and set a direction towards the two-state settlement. This settlement is a Jordanian national interest and it is also in the vital interest of the United States.
Jordan continues to support and appreciate President Obama’s efforts to achieve peace. But, we all had hoped to see more progress towards a solution.
Now, we are also acutely aware that the path to peace is one riddled with obstacles and numerous challenges. But that is no excuse to give up or give in. As His Majesty King Abdullah told Ha’aretz last week, if we do not reach a two state solution, ‘we all will continue to be hostage to conflict and tension.’ It is a vicious cycle that has engulfed the entire region and continues to adversely affect the lives of millions of people in Palestine and in Israel. This is the root of our concern in Jordan. One act of provocation, as we have witnessed most recently in Jerusalem, has potential to have a wide ripple effect beyond Jordan and the immediate neighborhood. As His Majesty said when he visited Washington in April, ‘all roads go through Jerusalem.’ This is not a local conflict; it resonates with 1.57 billion Muslims worldwide; a reality we cannot ignore. We can no longer afford to postpone or delay or wait it out. With the commitment of President Obama to peace, there is a unique opportunity that we all must seize to achieve peace that will ensure security and stability.
How would you assess U.S.-Jordanian relations?
Over the past sixty years, our relationship with the United States has grown into a strategic partnership and most meaningful friendship. We celebrate, this year, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States.
Our partnership with the United States is based on shared values and interests: a strong conviction in peace and stability in the region. As I mentioned earlier, U.S. leadership is paramount to achieving peace in the Middle East and we are ready to work with all players to changing the current reality of conflict and tensions.
We in Jordan have welcomed President Barrack Obama’s outreach to the Muslim world and will continue to support U.S. and other global interfaith efforts on the basis of mutual respect and coexistence.
Moreover, our relationship with the United States rests on a strong basis of cooperation in the areas of trade, education, and cultural exchange. Jordan was the first Arab country to have signed a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Indeed, we will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. This is testimony to the breadth of our longstanding friendship.
What role can Jordan play in helping Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace accord? King Abdullah has been active in promoting the Arab Peace Initiative. What is the status of the Initiative and can more be done to push it forward? As one of two Arab countries that have signed a peace treaty with Israel, what role can Jordan play in helping to bring about peace between Israel and other Arab countries?
Jordan will continue to play an important role in moving both parties to the negotiating table. His Majesty King Abdullah has worked tirelessly to advance peace talks and engage with all stakeholders: Palestinians, Israelis, Arabs and Americans, on both the government level and beyond, in the pursuit of a peaceful two-state solution.
Jordan has also contributed to training Palestinian security forces, and continues to be the launching pad for all humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territories.
As for the Arab Peace Initiative, as His Majesty King Abdullah pointed out, this landmark initiative has held up against all provocation, crisis and tensions in the Palestinian-Israeli and regional arenas. The Initiative ‘lays out the parameters of a comprehensive settlement—ending the occupation … creating a Palestinian state … and providing security guarantees and normal relations for Israel.’ It has been accepted by the Organization of Islamic Conference and thus enjoys the support of 57 countries—a third of the United Nations members who until today do not recognize Israel.
We have made a choice by endorsing and advancing the Arab Peace Initiative, which offers a comprehensive peace that meets the legitimate needs of all. Israel also has a choice: to be integrated into the region or as His Majesty said, remain fortress Israel, isolated and locked-in by the conflict.
As you know, tensions have recently flared in Jerusalem. Jordan has a unique role in the administration of the Muslim holy sites. How are the tensions in Jerusalem perceived in Jordan? What can be done by all parties and what has Jordan done and can it do to help calm these tensions?
Jordan is gravely concerned about Israeli unilateral measures in Jerusalem that seek to change the identity of the holy city and endanger the holy Islamic and Christian sites there and force its Arab Muslim and Christian inhabitants to emigrate.
Recent tensions in the holy city reveal the fragility of the situation on the ground. The sanctity of Jerusalem, as I said earlier, is not only a Palestinian or Jordanian issue, it is a Muslim core issue that resonates with all Muslims that represent more than 23 percent of the world’s population.
King Abdullah has underlined the importance of preserving the holy city that has tremendous significance for all three monotheistic religions. In His Majesty’s words, ‘Jerusalem is a tinderbox’ and given Jordan’s special role there—also recognized by the peace treaty with Israel—any provocations or problems would directly destabilize our relations with Israel and will create a tinderbox that will have a major flashpoint throughout the Islamic world.
