11 September 2011
Amman - His Majesty King Abdullah II on Sunday said national unity is a red line and that no one would be allowed to undermine Jordan's future.
During a meeting today with a group of writers, intellectuals, thinkers and academics, King Abdullah said: "We have to be more aware and careful in our political and intellectual discourse when discussing national identity and not to allow this debate to become a duality that fragments the society." The King said intellectuals have an important role in fostering belonging to the homeland in word and deed and strengthening national identity.
King Abdullah affirmed that the alternative homeland exists only in the minds of weak people, and the so-called Jordanian option is nothing but political illusions and impossible dreams.
"Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine and our identity is Arab Islamic and we know our way to protect Palestine's future and our rights in Jerusalem and the refugees right to return", the King said, adding: "We support the Palestinian people right to a Palestinian state; our political stance did not and will not change and that the alternative homeland issue must not be part of the discussion." He stressed that debating the so-called Jordanian in the Kingdom from time to time is " totally unacceptable and we must not discuss the same issue every year, there are some people who blow up this issue and only those afraid bring it to the fore." "Unfortunately, there are some people whenever we try to reassure them; they get back to the same subject. We want to move forward, and we have a historic opportunity to open a new page, and try to develop our political reform not only for Jordan but for the Middle East in order to become a model in the region.", the King said.
The King stressed that no one can precede Jordan in its support to the Palestinian issue and said " Jordan and Palestine's future are stronger than Israel today and that the Israeli who is afraid now." "When I was in the United States, an Israeli intellectual talked to me and said that what is going on in the Arab world is in the best interest of Israel; but I answered him and said: on the contrary; your situation today is harder than ever before", the King told the meeting.
His Majesty added: "I would like to assure everyone that I have not heard from any U.S. official or other, not Clinton or Bush or Obama any pressure on Jordan toward solving the Palestinian issue at the expense of the Kingdom." The King asserted that Jordan will defend its rights and vision on a final solution that guarantees a viable and independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital and a just implementation of the return and compensation rights.
Speaking on reform, King Abdullah said: " We will continue spearheading reform efforts until they bear fruit with the cooperation of all and we have an important opportunity to set an advanced model of reform in the region and uplift party and political life." He affirmed that Jordan will press ahead with reform and that the municipal elections will be held before yearend and parliamentary polls will take place in 2012. Constitutional amendments package will be endorsed within the coming two weeks, King Abdullah added.
Amman - His Majesty King Abdullah II on Sunday said national unity is a red line and that no one would be allowed to undermine Jordan's future.
During a meeting today with a group of writers, intellectuals, thinkers and academics, King Abdullah said: "We have to be more aware and careful in our political and intellectual discourse when discussing national identity and not to allow this debate to become a duality that fragments the society." The King said intellectuals have an important role in fostering belonging to the homeland in word and deed and strengthening national identity.
King Abdullah affirmed that the alternative homeland exists only in the minds of weak people, and the so-called Jordanian option is nothing but political illusions and impossible dreams.
"Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine and our identity is Arab Islamic and we know our way to protect Palestine's future and our rights in Jerusalem and the refugees right to return", the King said, adding: "We support the Palestinian people right to a Palestinian state; our political stance did not and will not change and that the alternative homeland issue must not be part of the discussion." He stressed that debating the so-called Jordanian in the Kingdom from time to time is " totally unacceptable and we must not discuss the same issue every year, there are some people who blow up this issue and only those afraid bring it to the fore." "Unfortunately, there are some people whenever we try to reassure them; they get back to the same subject. We want to move forward, and we have a historic opportunity to open a new page, and try to develop our political reform not only for Jordan but for the Middle East in order to become a model in the region.", the King said.
The King stressed that no one can precede Jordan in its support to the Palestinian issue and said " Jordan and Palestine's future are stronger than Israel today and that the Israeli who is afraid now." "When I was in the United States, an Israeli intellectual talked to me and said that what is going on in the Arab world is in the best interest of Israel; but I answered him and said: on the contrary; your situation today is harder than ever before", the King told the meeting.
His Majesty added: "I would like to assure everyone that I have not heard from any U.S. official or other, not Clinton or Bush or Obama any pressure on Jordan toward solving the Palestinian issue at the expense of the Kingdom." The King asserted that Jordan will defend its rights and vision on a final solution that guarantees a viable and independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital and a just implementation of the return and compensation rights.
Speaking on reform, King Abdullah said: " We will continue spearheading reform efforts until they bear fruit with the cooperation of all and we have an important opportunity to set an advanced model of reform in the region and uplift party and political life." He affirmed that Jordan will press ahead with reform and that the municipal elections will be held before yearend and parliamentary polls will take place in 2012. Constitutional amendments package will be endorsed within the coming two weeks, King Abdullah added.
© Jordan News Agency - Petra 2011
