His Majesty King Abdullah most eloquently addressed a ceremony in New
York last week, where he and Her Majesty Queen Rania received the
“Path to Peace Award”, presented by the Path to Peace Foundation, stressing
that “our journey on the path to peace must travel through Jerusalem.”
اضافة اعلان
“Their Majesties
received the award in appreciation of their role in promoting interfaith
harmony and dialogue, as well as bolstering prospects for peace, and in
recognition of Jordan’s humanitarian efforts to host refugees,” said a Royal
Court statement.
The King’s speech
was timely. A few days later, the casket of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu
Akleh, killed by an Israeli sniper while covering an Israeli raid in Jenin in
the West Bank, was being carried by Christians and Muslims to her resting
place. It was a tragic incident that carried to the world a message that
everyone understands and is aware of: that occupation is synonymous with
injustice, oppression, bias, belligerence and total disregard for the life of the
occupied.
King Abdullah’s
message has long been that an end to the Israeli occupation will help the
entire region live in peace.
The world must be well aware that there are two options ahead: either turn a blind eye to Israeli crimes and irrational practices, and thus be complicit in its wrongdoing, or work hard with peace-loving countries for a just and lasting peace, and spare our region the never-ending cycle of violence for which the blame must be pinned on Israel and its increasingly extremist leaders.
The King is the
best emissary to carry the message of peace and justice to the decision and
policy makers, and influencers, in the world’s most influential capital, first
because he is the custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem, second because
Jordan is the number-one advocate of the historical rights of the Palestinian
people, and third because the Kingdom has been, throughout its history, a key
peace seeker and maker.
Regarding
Jerusalem, the King said: “As custodian of its Muslim and Christian Holy Sites,
I say to you all, my friends, that upholding the historical and legal status
quo at these holy places is essential for peace, for harmony, and freedom of
worship.”
“Jerusalem should
be an anchor for peace and coexistence, not for fear and violence,” said the
King, warning that “undermining the legal and historical status quo of the Holy
City will only escalate tensions and anger.”
US President Joe
Biden’s remarks during his meeting with the King show that the message was well
received and understood. The US leader reiterated “his strong support for a
two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
The world must be
well aware that there are two options ahead: either turn a blind eye to Israeli
crimes and irrational practices, and thus be complicit in its wrongdoing, or
work hard with peace-loving countries for a just and lasting peace, and spare
our region the never-ending cycle of violence for which the blame must be
pinned on Israel and its increasingly extremist leaders.
The writer is a former advisor at the Royal Hashemite
Court, a former director of media and communication at the Office of His
Majesty King Abdullah, and works currently as a senior advisor for business
development at Al-Ghad and Jordan News.
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