Principled stand

When His Majesty King Abdullah met ministers, media mangers and chief editors of daily newspapers last week to brief them on his recent visit to Washington for talks with President Donald Trump, the highlight of his talk with them was that the Palestinian conflict continues to be the focus of his concern and that it had taken centre stage in his discussions with the US president and other high US officials, even amidst the many other regional crises.

This is the case whenever the King holds talks with world leaders. 

Of course the King discussed several other regional and bilateral issues with Trump, including the growing threat from Daesh and the economic situation in the country.

The King’s principled position, that puts the Palestinian crisis at the forefront of Jordan’s concerns, distinguishes him from other Arab leaders.

Other Arab leaders seldom raise the issue of the Palestinian crisis with the same vigour and emphasis when they visit foreign capitals or hold talks with visiting dignitaries.

It would seem that the absence of Arab support for this Jordanian stance weakens the resolve to settle the Palestinian problem on the two-state basis.

This may give the false impression to major foreign capitals that the Palestinian case is not a matter of high priority for most of the Arab world, as it used to be.

Israel has been busy spreading the view that under the current conditions the Palestinian case is no longer the number one conflict in the region, that it was dwarfed by the Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni and perhaps Lebanese conflicts.

Prioritising the Palestinian cause, as the King has been constantly doing, deserves recognition and appreciation.