One hundred years of peace advocacy

From King Abdullah I to King Abdullah II, Jordan has always been a staunch advocate for coexistence and peace.

Throughout his years as Emir and King from 1921 to 1951, the founder of modern Jordan, Abdullah I, devoted a great deal of his time and effort to trying to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict through diplomatic means.

Safeguarding the rights of all, and an equitable and just settlement, were his prime objective.

When King Hussein, who ruled from 1952 to 1999, took over, he focused on the exact same target. 

And when Israel and Jordan signed a treaty at Wadi Araba in 1994, the Hashemite vision of peace for all almost became a reality.

It was shattered when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel, perhaps the only Israeli official to genuinely work for a durable settlement to the conflict, was assassinated by an Israeli extremist.

When King Hussein passed away in 1999, and our present King Abdullah II assumed his Royal responsibilities, he committed to the same cause: Peace and prosperity for all.

For 20 years, the King has left no stone unturned in trying to further the cause of peace.

At each and every occasion, national or international, and at each and every forum, he has made it a point to remind of what Jordan has always maintained: That peace in Palestine is the key to peace and prosperity in the region and elsewhere.

He reiterated this same position last week at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy, in his conversation with Robert Satloff when he stressed the importance of equitable, durable peace through the two-state solution, and the importance of solving the Palestinian problem so that all can enjoy the benefits of peace.

What is most striking about the Jordanian position is its consistency and its perseverance: For almost a whole century, it has been calling for and insisting upon justice and peaceful coexistence for all.

Jordan has been firmly sticking to this sober position and to this auspicious dream even when so many of those involved — Israelis, Americans and others — are fickle, hypocritical or selfish.

For a hundred years, Jordan has been tirelessly and unwaveringly advocating peace.