Abdullah: What if world gives up on two-state solution?
Jordan's King Abdullah warns the European Parliament against one-state and says failure to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict endangers world peace.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFKing Abdullah addresses the European Parliament.(photo credit: screenshot)
A one-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would only perpetuate violence between the two peoples, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned, as he addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.“What if the world gives up on the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?” he asked.Abdullah answered his own question by stating that no less than world peace depends on the outcome of this conflict.“I will say it again and again. A more peaceful world is not possible without a stable Middle East, and a stable Middle East is not possible without peace between the Palestinians and Israelis,” Abdullah said to loud applause.He described the dangers of a one-state resolution where the one state would be “propped up by structural inequalities, with Palestinians as second-class subjects.”“One state turning its back on its neighborhood, perpetuating divisions among peoples and faiths worldwide,” Abdullah said.Five years ago, Abdullah said, he had similarly addressed the parliament about the dangers of conflict, and in the interim the situation has deteriorated.“Violence continues, settlement continues [and] disregard for international law continues,” he said.Abdullah also speculated about the failure to deal with the status of Jerusalem to the satisfaction of all parties.“What if Jerusalem, a city that is close to my heart personally and of great historic significance, remains disputed? Can we afford to rob Christians and Muslims alike of the spirituality, peace and coexistence that this city symbolizes, and instead allow it to descend into political conflict?” Abdullah asked.
He spoke just as speculation is high that US President Donald Trump will finally release his long-awaited peace plan, known as the “Deal of the Century.” It is presumed that the plan will not include the traditional presumption of a two-state solution at the pre-1967 lines. Both Abdullah and the EU embrace a resolution based on the pre-1967 lines.Separately, Abdullah spoke about the heightened tensions between Iran and the United States in the aftermath of the American assassination of top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani earlier this month.He said, “What if next time neither side steps away from the brink, dragging us all toward untold chaos. An all-out war jeopardizes the stability of the entire region. Once more it risks massive disruptions of the entire global economy, including markets, [and] threatens a resurgence of terrorism across the world.”Abdullah has been outspoken this week about the dangers facing his region. While in Brussels, he spoke with EU and NATO officials. At the parliament, he pondered the impact of an ISIS resurgence.“What if we see a reemergence of ISIS, and Syria becomes a staging ground for attacks against the rest of the world? Syria may be out of the headlines... but the crisis is far from over. Over the past nine months more than half a million people have been displaced, many of them already refugees. Do any of us want to see another Syrian refugee crisis unfold or another innocent child washed up upon your shores?” Abdullah said. “I know I speak for everyone here when I say, absolutely not.”
