 AMMAN - JordanÂ’s King Abdullah II said Wednesday, on the eve of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, that his country will never be a substitute homeland for the Palestinians.
“If there is anyone who believes that it is possible to settle the Palestinian issue at the expense of Jordan, he should know that Jordan will never be a substitute homeland for anybody,” the king said. “The Palestinians’ homeland and their state should be on Palestinian soil, and nowhere else,” he added in a speech to a graduating class of police and army officers at Mu’ta University, south of Amman.
| Nevermind that 'Trans-Jordan' was originally supposed to be the Arab part of the package ... |
King Abdullah meets Thursday in Amman with Olmert, who was elected in March on a pledge to set IsraelÂ’s final borders by 2010, unilaterally if necessary. In an interview Wednesday with the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot, King Abdullah said he would tell Olmert of his opposition to any unilateral steps by Israel.
That “would raise question marks and a sense of insecurity not only among the Palestinians, but among all the partners of peace in the region,” he said. “The ability to improve relations between us and Israel could also be damaged by this unilateral move.”
| Since bilateral moves have worked so well ... |
He stressed that “Jordan is first and Jordan’s interests supersede all other interests and considerations,” according to an English-language transcript of the speech released by the royal court. “We know that there are some who seek strength from some states to hurt this country, or to disrupt the relationship between the two brotherly peoples, the Jordanians and the Palestinians,” he said.
| Like Hamas for example. They really like you. |
“Those, and those who stand behind them, should know that the Jordanian-Palestinian relationship is a sacred historic bond.". He added that Jordan will “not be lenient towards, or tolerant of, any party that tries to disrupt this country’s security and stability.”
| Which is why he's thumping Hamas operatives in his country. |
Jordan announced in May the arrest 20 Hamas suspects accused of plotting attacks in the kingdom and said it uncovered an arms cache and seized weapons including Iranian-made Katyusha rockets. The radical Islamist movement, which won January elections and now heads the Palestinian government, denied any involvement in the alleged plot.
In his speech, the Jordanian king also warned against the “most difficult conditions and worst developments” facing the region in the Palestinian territories and Iraq, as well as Iran’s nuclear row with the West. “The deteriorating state of affairs in the West Bank and in Iraq, and the dispute between Iran and the United States of America, all threaten security and stability,” he said. “We should be at the highest level of alertness and preparedness in order to face the worst possible scenarios and to defend our country and national interests,” the Jordanian monarch added.
| "Please don't let them kill me!" |
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