Jordan Times
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Jordan committed to refugee rights
Royal Court refutes statements attributed to
King in Israeli paper, says ‘option of compensation comes in context of
resolving refugee problem, but can’t provide solution by itself’
AMMAN (JT) — A senior Royal Court official on Saturday said statements
attributed to King Abdullah in an Israeli paper during a meeting with a top
Israeli official last week were “completely baseless and false”.
Director of the Royal Court’s Communication and Information Amjad Adayleh
refuted the Haaretz report, which, he said, was not based on what the King said
at a meeting on Thursday with acting Israeli President and Speaker of the
Knesset Dalia Yitzik in Amman.
“The report was exaggerated and clearly offended Jordan and its leadership and
distorted sincere efforts led by the Kingdom in defence of Palestinian rights,
mainly the establishment of an independent state,” Adayleh said in a statement.
Haaretz, quoting Israeli lawmakers who attended the meeting, claimed King
Abdullah told Yitzik: “Instead of talking about the [Palestinian] right of
return [in the Arab Peace Initiative], it might be necessary to talk about the
right to compensation.”
Adayleh said the “option of compensation comes in the context of resolving the
refugee problem, but cannot provide a solution by itself”.
He said the Kingdom hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees, most of
which are Jordanian citizens — “which do not in any way deprive them from their
rights as refugees”.
“Jordan also has the right to defend the rights of its citizens who fled from
Palestine, including the right of return and compensation in line with
international resolutions.”
King Abdullah told Yitzik on Thursday that the 2002 Arab peace plan was a
historic chance for peace in the Middle East. He said the Arab plan “reflected
Arab commitment to peace”.
The Arab initiative offers Israel full normalisation of relations in return for
its withdrawal from all Arab land captured in 1967, the creation of a
Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees.
The peace plan, as explained by the Monarch to Yitzik, “underlines the
importance of reaching a reconciliatory solution for the issue of Palestinian
refugees by the two sides and rules out forging real peace without resolving the
refugee issues in accordance with the international legitimacy solutions”,
Adayleh said.
Adayleh said the meeting with Yitzik was part of the King’s efforts to revive
the peace process.
“Every time His Majesty succeeds in highlighting the Palestinian cause as well
as the importance of finding a comprehensive and just solution to the
Palestinian-Israeli crisis, which is the core conflict in the Middle East, the
enemies of peace and their followers in the media increase their attacks,” the
senior official said.
Haaretz also quoted King Abdullah as saying that Jordan and Israel were
“fighting the same enemy”.
The King’s remarks came in the context of warnings against growing extremism in
the region, according to Adayleh, who stressed that “the failure to find a
solution for the Palestinian issue will boost extremism and force all parties to
pay the price, including Israel”.
Agence France-Presse on Friday quoted a Royal Court official as saying that no
date has yet been set for a proposed visit to Israel by King Abdullah, denying
an Israeli press report it was fixed for next month.
“King Abdullah is ready to make every effort to enable the implementation of the
Arab peace plan that serves the Palestinian cause and clears the way for a just
and comprehensive solution permitting the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state,” the official said.
The Israeli daily Maariv reported in its Friday edition that the two-day visit
would take place within three weeks amid growing efforts to kick-start the
Middle East peace process.
The paper said King Abdullah was even considering addressing the Israeli
parliament.
Miri Eisin, spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, confirmed only
that the premier had invited the King to visit during a telephone call on
Wednesday.
King Abdullah first visited Israel in March 2004, when he met then-prime
minister Ariel Sharon at his ranch in the south of the country.