King directs international attention towards Palestinian cause at UNGA

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech at the 77th United Nations General Assembly session directed the international community’s attention to their responsibility to take meaningful action towards realising the two-state solution, guaranteeing the rights of Palestinians and preserving the Hashemite Custodianship over holy sites in Jerusalem, according to analysts.

King Abdullah on Tuesday participated in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, also attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, where he touched on international, regional and domestic issues.

Former minister Mohammad Momani said that King Abdullah’s speech was “of tremendous importance”, highlighting the challenges facing the world, the region and Jordan.

“One of the main highlights of His Majesty’s speech was his focus on the absent justice regarding the Palestinian people and the need for the international community to continue to work towards peace through the two-state solution,” Momani told The Jordan Times.

Regionally, His Majesty focused on the necessity of joint projects, also emphasising the need to include the Palestinians in these projects to bring justice and dignity to Palestinians, Momani said.

“His Majesty spoke clearly about the necessity of a two-state solution, and that security and stability in the region cannot be achieved without a just and comprehensive solution to this conflict, as the lack of justice for the Palestinian people is a major cause of regional instability,” he added.

Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah, has harnessed all its contacts, diplomatic relations and political, legal and media tools in order to preserve the legal and historical status of the city of Jerusalem, Momani said.

His Majesty stressed the need to protect the Christian community in the Middle East and Jerusalem, referring to it as “one of the most important communities in Jerusalem” which must be supported, Momani said.

He also indicated that the King touched on the challenges Jordan is facing, such as the issue of Syrian refugees and how Jordan is doing its part on behalf of the world.

Maher Madadha, Chairman of the Jordan Press Foundation, described His Majesty’s speech as“comprehensive”.

“His Majesty called for the two-state solution to ensure the rights of Palestinian people, as the more time spent in conflict the more opportunities are wasted for Palestinians. The message that the King sent to the world is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as all the procrastination that Israel is doing is futile and will not achieve stability in the region,” Madadha told The Jordan Times.

Locally, His Majesty focused on economic partnerships and international economic cooperation. 

“The speech made it clear that the Jordanian investment environment is safe and stable, and this is evident from Jordan’s mediating position in the region and the political and social stability in the Kingdom, which constitutes a fertile environment for investment,” he added.

Regarding the deteriorating issues of climate change and food security, the King called for international partnerships, and that the world must deal seriously with these issues, he said.

“His Majesty’s speech confirmed Jordan’s position and commitment to implementing international protocols and treaties to deal with the various issues the world faces,” Madadha noted.

Mohammad Al Tal, a writer and political analyst, told The Jordan Times that the Jordanian stance, represented by His Majesty the King, always takes the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people to establish a state into account.

“Jordan’s stance regarding the Palestinian cause is consistent in all international, Arab and local forums, and supports the Palestinian people, as solving the Palestinian issue is not only for the Palestinian interest, but for global and Jordanian interests,” Tal said.

His Majesty’s call to establish partnerships that will constitute an “actual economic partnership” which benefits the people is an indication of the “clarity” of the Royal understanding of the current economic situation in the region and the world, he said.

“There must be a stable economic policy, and rules that are not affected by any political changes in the region in order to serve the people. The King seeks the interest of the Jordanian economy and Jordanians, and wants to bring the economy out of the difficulties and challenges it faces,” Tal added.