Jordan Times
Monday, August 7, 2006
Support for Lebanon comes from 'deeds not words’ — King
AMMAN (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on
Sunday reiterated that priority should be given to a ceasefire in Lebanon
“regardless of the reasons that led to” the current situation there.
During a meeting with excelling college students at the Royal Court, the King
reaffirmed Jordan’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, stressing
it comes from “deeds not words” rather than “empty talk and outbidding on
satellite channels.”
“Since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression in Lebanon, our stand was
clear-cut,” the King told the youth. “We rejected and condemned this aggression
and called for an immediate ceasefire and full control of the Lebanese
government on all Lebanese territory.”
The King added that the root cause of the problem is Israel’s occupation of Arab
lands, and that “as long as there is occupation, there will be resistance.”
Under such circumstances, he said, Jordanians should exhibit high levels of
awareness and alertness so as to protect the country’s stability and security in
the face of the hazards overwhelming the region.
“I have no concerns regarding an external challenge as long as we stand in
solidarity,” the King said during a subsequent discussion with the young men and
women.
The youth can play a key role in this regard, he told the students, noting that
the younger generation will have a significant part to play in implementing the
recommendations of the recent “We are All Jordan” Forum, which set Jordan’s top
priority issues.
For his part, Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib said during the meeting that
the situation is ripe in the UN Security Council for a cease-fire in Lebanon,
but added that there is a need for a guarantee that the aggression on Lebanon
would not be repeated.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah met on Sunday with Sudanese Presidential Adviser
Mustafa Ismail and discussed the repercussions of the situation in Lebanon and
international efforts exerted to end the Israeli aggression.
The Monarch stressed that Jordan will continue to support efforts seeking to end
the crisis in the Middle East and extend humanitarian and medical assistance to
the Lebanese.
He added that the current state of instability in the Middle East requires the
Arab countries to come up with a unified stand to address the world and realise
a comprehensive peace that ends the Israeli occupation of the Arab lands and
prevents the eruption of new crises in the region.
For his part, Ismail, whose country heads the current Arab summit, reviewed
Sudan’s efforts to help the Lebanese and halt the Israeli aggression.