His Majesty King Abdullah II

Interview with HM King Abdullah II with CNN

as aired on October 24, 2011
(SEGMENTS ONLY – FULL INTERVIEW TO BE AIRED ON NOVEMBER 7, 2011)

King Abdullah: This particular Prime Minister who is coming in to power in the next day or two is an internationally renowned judge on the International Court of Justice, steeped very much in law and in procedure. What we need to do to get ourselves to national elections in 2012 is a man like that, who understands the hard work. We’re going from the Arab Spring to the Arab Summer. In other words, we need to roll up our sleeves and if we want to get to national elections in 2012 we have to ratify 30 laws and amendments. So there’s going to be tremendous work between the government and the Parliament, so that we can get ourselves in position before elections in 2012.

CNN: Some are saying this is a knee-jerk reaction to the street. It’s almost desperate if you’re going to change governments that quickly, you’re not giving governments enough time to settle in, to get a mandate to change laws.

King Abdullah: I don’t think it was a knee-jerk reaction. If we are sincere about getting Jordan to national elections and a new phase in political life, then we have to get the right player. So, this prime minister is coming in for a specific reason, so that we can achieve these ends. I’m pretty clear on the steps that we need to take for political reform over the next year or so. What keeps me up at night, and most people around the world, is actually poverty and unemployment.

CNN: I’d imagine Syria is keeping you up at night right now. What is the way out to what has become an extremely nasty set of circumstances, with very little international intervention?

King Abdullah: I think that is the million dollar question. I don’t think there’s anybody in the region or outside who knows how to tackle the Syria issue.

CNN: Is that because of the Iran’s influence there?

King Abdullah: No, it’s because of the dynamics inside of Syria. Politically, we’re watching to see what happens in Syria. His late Majesty always had a policy of no-interference. I've spoken to Bashar twice. I have sent the chief of the royal court to see him on several occasions. Basically, to say this is the way we’re doing things in Jordan. Not that we've got anything perfect, but you know, national dialogue and outreach - and they're not really interested in what we have to say.

So we're trying to keep the channels of communication open and watching with great concern how things are going to develop there.

CNN: We’re going to move from full attention on the Arab Spring back to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. We’re a month after the deadline of renewing talks in a very sincere way. What does it realistically take, a freeze of all settlement activities, to get us back on track, even after the prisoners swap?

King Abdullah: I think we need to see whether the Israelis are really serious about a two-state solution. I think the Arab Spring was a good opportunity for some to ignore the core issue that’s always been here – that is the future of the Palestinians and Israelis. There’s an understanding that because of the internal politics in the US, preparing for national elections, that America can’t be actively engaged in the peace process at least until after elections. That would be disastrous because whenever there is a vacuum, whenever there is a status quo, there's usually a war. And so we're missing a tremendous opportunity. I am one of the most optimistic people you'll meet in the Middle East, and for the first time I am very pessimistic about the Israelis and Palestinians moving forward.

CNN: Do you find that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been sincere on some of the comments he made at the UN General Assembly, that he wants to get this back on track?

King Abdullah: I have met him here several times, and we have had long conversations and everything he has told me is fantastic, and I couldn’t have said it better myself on what needs to be done. Having said that, what I’ve seen of the political system in Israel, I’ve seen completely the opposite. Israel is not really interested in a two-state solution. And what's the other option? I think the one-state solution has tremendous negative implications on all of us, including the Israelis. But today we’re all skeptical, and at a time when the Israeli-Palestinian situation should be front and centre.