His Majesty King Abdullah II
His Majesty King Abdullah's interview with Sa’ad Silawi,
Regional Director of the MBC Group
and Senior Correspondent of Al Arabiya
May 7, 2006
Silawi: Your Majesty, let’s start
with the terrorism that threatens people’s security, especially in this region.
Please allow me to be frank. You announced after the attacks on Amman last
November that you would draft a new, firm security strategy to deal with
terrorism. Frankly, there are fears that standing up to terrorism would be a
pretext for restricting freedoms in a country where you regularly proclaim that
the sky is the limit for freedom.
HM King Abdullah: First, it is important to stress that terrorism does not threaten one
country or region alone. It is a danger that threatens any country in the world,
and we should not allow terrorism to change our way of life or affect public
freedoms or citizens’ right to live in security, freedom and dignity. As I’ve
said in the past, we in Jordan will not allow terrorists to transform our
democratic country into a police state. Terror cannot be fought with only
straightforward security measures, but with a comprehensive strategy to foster a
culture of dialogue that rejects violence and [denounces] the exploitation of
democracy or religion to justify terrorist acts. Jordan has started to draft
such a strategy and put in place an anti-terrorism law. This law will not be at
the expense of democracy or public freedoms.
Silawi: Your answer is reassuring, Your Majesty. For there were fears that the
Jordanian state would turn into a police state but I understand from Your
Majesty that there are those who support and agree with acts of terrorism,
especially those in Jordan who adhere to takfiri thought and view terrorists
such as Zarqawi, Ben Laden and Zawahiri and others as heroes.
HM King Abdullah: Not just in Jordan, in many countries. There are some writers in the press
and some satellite stations and some preachers in mosques who promote a culture
of violence who justify terrorism or portray these crimes as heroic or as being
a sort of jihad. It is important to remind everyone that the terrorists who kill
people in Islam’s name and in defence of Muslims have killed more Muslims than
non-Muslims, or the ones they consider to be enemies of Islam.
Therefore, we need to put an end to those who promote the culture of violence
and those who justify terrorism, because those who justify it are terrorists’
partners in crime. I am sure that the majority of our people are united against
terrorists.
Silawi: Yes, maybe so, especially after the latest Amman tragedy targeting a
Jordanian wedding. I will go beyond this tragic issue as many Jordanians have
and move to another hot issue, Iraq, which is witnessing political organisation.
Your Majesty, what is your evaluation of the situation in Iraq now?
HM King Abdullah: Hopefully, the developments in Iraq over the past days concerning
agreement on a president and prime minister and president of the Iraqi national
assembly are positive signs and a step towards building institutions in the
Iraqi state and the empowerment of the Iraqi people to achieve sovereignty
throughout Iraqi territory. We also hope that this government will represent all
sectors of the Iraqi people, and will not be dominated by one sect or group in
order to ensure security and stability and a free, dignified life for all
Iraqis, in which any differences, sectarian, ethnic or political, are
alleviated.
Silawi: From Your Majesty’s wishes to Iraq and Iraqis, let’s go on to your
efforts in another hot area, Palestine. Your Majesty what is your forecast for
the peace process after Hamas’ victory in Palestinian elections and its
formation of a government and the formation of the Israeli government under Ehud
Olmert’s leadership?
HM King Abdullah: It is necessary for everyone to realise that the Middle East peace process
is not tied to parties as much as it is to governments and states. It is also
the right of people of the region and future generations to live in peace and
stability. [The realisation of this right] is an international demand
articulated in UN resolutions and international legitimacy. The peace process
today has become hostage to the agenda of the new Israeli government and the new
Palestinian government’s programme. All the peace supporters in the region are
required to work to maintain the momentum of the peace process and build upon
what has been achieved in order not to lose an historic opportunity — one that
may be the last for a peace settlement and the emergence of a Palestinian state.
Silawi: The Palestinian state is an historic opportunity, and I recall a
previous meeting I had with President Hosni Mubarak where he said that the
Palestinian cause is that of lost opportunities. Your Majesty, will there really
be a Palestinian state, especially if you consider that the peace process is
almost at a standstill, with no serious steps since the withdrawal from Gaza and
Hamas’ electoral victory, which led to the international community’s decision to
pressure Hamas by refusing to deal with it. The question today is: Isn’t Hamas’
presence in government the choice of the Palestinian people?
HM King Abdullah: First, the world has to respect the choice of the Palestinian people and
their right to choose their leadership. We, in Jordan, are keen to support
Palestinians until they achieve their rights and a Palestinian state is
established. We will deal with the new Palestinian government according to our
national policy. We hope that the Palestinians, especially Hamas, will apply the
utmost realism in dealing with all that concerns the Palestinian cause, bearing
in mind the position of the world around us and the many new realities that
cannot be ignored or changed. Everyone must bear in mind that the window of
opportunity for a settlement is two years, and I fear that if this short time
passes without reaching a settlement, the Palestinians will have nothing left
over which to negotiate. I also urge the Middle East Quartet to reactivate the
roadmap to push the peace process forward so we do not lose this opportunity and
everyone returns to the point we started years ago.
Silawi: Just two years? If the two-year period expires without reaching an
agreement that realises a Palestinian state (with a reminder that 2005 was the
date for statehood which never happened). Will Jordan have a role in the West
Bank and what is the form of the future relationship between Jordan and
Palestine, presuming that the state never materialises?
HM King Abdullah: First, I must stress that Jordan has no special agenda and no ambitions in
the West Bank. Despite the fact that many Palestinians in West Bank towns and
villages are aware of and appreciate the huge sacrifices that Jordan made in
order to preserve the West Bank and Palestinian rights, there nevertheless
remains a whole generation of Palestinians who were raised under occupation
after 1967. They may not be aware of Jordan’s real role or what it has done for
the Palestinian cause, since many of this generation were frequently influenced
by certain Palestinian organisations and some Arab regimes that made unwarranted
accusations against Jordan, cast doubt on the sincerity of its policies and
blamed Jordan for actions that undermined the Palestinian cause when those
actions were actually done by some Arab regimes and some Palestinians.
Silawi: Your Majesty, you speak of unjust accusations against Jordan and
scepticism about its role. Why don’t you discuss this issue frankly with the
Palestinians and agree on the form of this relationship in case a Palestinian
state never emerges?
HM King Abdullah: This is a very sensitive and extremely complicated issue. If we were to
raise this issue now, Jordan will be accused of having an agenda or ambitions in
the West Bank. If we were to leave it solely up to the Palestinians, Jordan will
likewise be accused of not doing enough to help the Palestinians. The only way
out of this dilemma is for a Palestinian state to be established on Palestinian
soil. After that we can see what will be.
Silawi: But Your Majesty, the faltering peace process is harmful to Jordan, or
at least that is the opinion of some people. Is it true that Jordan would be
harmed by a lack of progress? And what is Jordan’s role in final status
negotiations? At the same time, the Jordanian-Palestinian relationship… a
strange thing… Karaki-Hebron marriage, Nabulsi-Salti, strange combinations that
have a unique unity.
HM King Abdullah: We, in Jordan, are the closest to Palestine and the Palestinian people.
The economic, social and political interests of both peoples are intertwined.
Many Jordanian families have relatives and friends in the West Bank. That’s why
everything that happens in the Palestinian territories affects Jordan. Frankly,
Jordan is concerned about what is happening with regards to Jerusalem and the
settlements, which is why the establishment of a viable Palestinian state is our
primary objective, as well as a necessity and legitimate right of the
Palestinians. As for final status negotiations, Jordan should have a role on the
issues of Jerusalem, refugees, water and borders.
Silawi: Your Majesty, let’s move to domestic issues, particularly reform and
development. Is Jordan serious about reform? Some are of the opinion that reform
is a programme that is meant to appease the US and Western countries? Not just
in Jordan, but also in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco. Is reform being promoted
just to appease the US?
HM King Abdullah: Jordan started the process of development and progress several years ago.
During the past six years, I have become more convinced that our future vision
for Jordan should have a regulatory framework identifying plans, programmes and
objectives that we want to achieve during the next ten years. The National
Agenda has several components, including organising political life,
institutionalising the development process, addressing the problems of poverty
and unemployment with solutions. But implementing the agenda also requires the
faith, conviction and support of the legislative authority through the enactment
of legislation that fosters the reform process.
Silawi: We’ve become accustomed to addressing Your Majesty, Abu Hussein,
frankly. Months ago there was an impression that you’d begun to abandon the
reformists and have returned to the old guard. Is this true?
HM King Abdullah: I reject the categorisation of people into reformists and old guard. These
classifications are inaccurate, and I don’t know where the press got them from.
For, all Jordanians agree on the necessity of reform and development. They may
differ on the best way to do that and on how reforms should be prioritised. But
as for the objectives, there are no differences, and I naturally listen to all
points of view, because I am for all Jordanians, no matter their views on
reform. It is important for everyone to realise that development needs concerted
and continuous efforts, and the involvement of the largest number of people is
possible. In Jordan, there are those who believe that political reform can be
realised simply by changing the Elections Law. That is not true. Political
development cannot exist without national parties with political, economic and
social programmes and a wide public support base. First and foremost, political
parties should not be subject to guidance or connections or finances from
outside the borders of this country. To be more frank, the problem is not the
one-man, one-vote electoral system; the problem is that we need to foster the
culture of democracy so that people would know that neither democracy nor
political development are complete without a mature national parties system.
Silawi: Some time ago, in the 1960s, people refrained from joining parties based
on their experiences in the 1950s. This persists today, and the base of
“rejectionists” has expanded, and I’m not talking here about the Muslim
Brotherhood, but about the vast majority of Jordanians who do not join political
parties…
HM King Abdullah: People are hesitant to join parties because of the negative image they
acquired in the 1950s and 1960s when they were directed and financed from abroad
persists today. Some of those parties used to seek to change the identity of
this country. These parties still exist and have not abandoned their agendas or
their external links. The new Jordanian parties are unknown to citizens beyond
the names of the individuals running those parties. So they are just names to
some people or slogans without content. That is why citizens hesitate to join
parties, whether old or new. I ask here why these small Jordanian parties don’t
join together to form a larger party with a majority that stands in the middle
between left and right. I am confident that such a party will have a wide
popular base.
Silawi: In the event that Parliament convenes for an extraordinary session, what
in your opinion, would be the legislation that should be given priority in
discussion and endorsement?
HM King Abdullah: We are now at a new stage of our national march. This stage requires a
number of laws that must be completed quickly. For example, the anti-corruption
commission law, political parties law, the municipalities law, the
anti-terrorism law, the national ombudsman law — all require the presence of the
Lower House of Parliament to enact these, along with others, quickly.
Silawi: Your Majesty, you have made significant changes at the Royal Court and
the government. Now we have the government of Marouf Bakhit. Your Majesty speaks
of important legislation: The anti-terrorism law, the anti-corruption law. Will
you consider dissolving Parliament if the Lower House does not finalise these
laws? I ask this question in light of previous instances since 1989 in which the
Lower House was dissolved before completing the legislation on its agenda.
HM King Abdullah: The deputies realise the need for these laws, and [know that] any delay in
finalising them would pose an obstacle to our national march. I believe that the
deputies are up to the responsibilities and the challenges that we have to face.
In my national responsibility and commitment to achieve dignified life for each
citizen in this country, I will not accept any obstacles to be placed in the way
of our national march.
Silawi: Your Majesty, I would have liked not to bring up the issue of Hamas
bringing weapons into Jordan, because I know that there is a habit of not
discussing this issue in the media and instead leaving it to the relevant
authorities. Allow me as a journalist to ask, because there are some who doubt
the government’s story about Hamas’ violations, including bringing in and
storing weapons in Jordan and planning to target vital Jordanian institutions
and personalities. [Those who doubt the story] believe that this is a government
ruse in order not to receive the foreign minister of the Hamas government.
HM King Abdullah: When Jordanian security services arrested the terrorist Sajida, there were
some who doubted the [truth]. This doubt probably exposes support and sympathy
for those who commit such violations or for these terrorist operations or
whoever stands behind them. In any case, we have given all the information to
the Palestinian president, and it has been agreed that a Palestinian political
and security delegation will be dispatched to Jordan to follow up on this issue
and disclose this information and details to everyone.
Silawi: My final question…The rise in fuel prices in Jordan and around the world
has affected everyone. Even our working trips in Al Arabiya’s Amman bureau are
being meticulously regulated. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has offered oil grants
to Jordan. Is the renewal of this grant, at least until the end of this year,
under consideration? Are there any contacts with the Saudis?
HM King Abdullah: There has been some discussion of this issue, and you know the custodian
of the two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, and our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia have never been anything but generous, God grant them prosperity.