Jordan's King Abdullah II publicly expressed frustration with the Palestinians for the first time Tuesday, saying in an interview that they need to fix past mistakes and carry out wide-ranging reform. In the interview with Al-Arabiya television, Abdullah said the Palestinian leadership needed to take decisions that would prove its "clear vision" as a partner in peace talks. Palestinian divisions and lack of reform have allowed the world to use "these particulars as justifications and excuses tocorrectly put the blame on the Palestinian side" for the breakdown of the peace process with Israel, he said.
Abdullah declined to say whether he advocated change in Palestinian leadership. "It is only the Palestinian people who can choose its leadership or change it," he said.
| First time for everything. |
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been under pressure at home and abroad to carry out reforms, particularly in the multiple security services. He has committed to consolidate the security forces and put some of them under control of his prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, but many have been skeptical of his promises. Abdullah said the leadership had the chance now, more than any other time, "to seize the opportunity to achieve peace through the road kill map" - a reference to the internationally backed peace plan that envisions the creation of a Palestinian state by next year but has been stalled for more than a year. "Subsequently, this requires the Palestinian leadership to conduct a comprehensive and bold review to many of the facts on the Palestinian arena and correct some of the mistakes which the world takes as justifications to put the blame on the Palestinian side."
When asked to comment on Palestinian complaints that they were left alone to face Israel and the international community, Abdullah sounded frustrated with Palestinian policy. "First, the Palestinian people must tell us how they want us to help them and with what. At the beginning, there was talk about the return of 98 percent of the occupied Palestinian territories, then the talk changed to less than 50 percent of these territories and we don't know in a year or two on what percentage the talk will be about." Abdullah said the Palestinians had also changed their position on the refugees issue, which he stressed Jordan must have a say in, considering its role as a host of the largest number of displaced Palestinians. "We do not forgo this right," he said. Initially, negotiations were on refugee "return and compensation, but we find now that the talk is concerning the return of a small percentage of them," he said.
| That's 'cause Ararat wants all the Jooos pushed into the sea, but realizes he can't quite say that. |
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