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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 February - 3 March 1999 Issue No. 418 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 25 February - 3 March 1999 Issue No. 418
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Preserving the balance
By Khaled Dawoud
Should we expect any changes in Jordan's foreign policy following the death of King Hussein?
Al-Khatib
We cannot, of course, underestimate the effect of what happened. But we are confident that the late king, after 47 years in power, has left us a country rich in institutions and with an unprecedented record in terms of international relations and status. We will do our best to preserve this treasure and to build on it in order to maintain Jordan's interests in the framework of its commitment to the causes of the Arab nation.We are optimistic due to the determination of King Abdullah and his commitment to maintain his father's line. We will remain loyal to King Hussein's policy and his balance between Jordan's supreme national interests and those of the Arab nation. This has been our record over the past 80 years (after Jordan was declared a kingdom), and King Hussein's record over the past five decades.
Five years after the signing of the Jordanian-Israeli agreement, the majority of Jordanians seem to be dissatisfied with the results. How is your government dealing with this?
We established relations with Israel on the basis of a peace treaty. These relations started under the eyes of our people and were transparent and open. The reason behind this is our belief that peace is the best available option for all peoples in the region. It is not easy to make peace, but we have to remain committed to it for the sake of future generations. However, for peace to be permanent, it has to be just and based on the principle of reciprocity.At the same time, we have to admit that we are confronting a lot of people who remain hostage to the past and cannot overcome decades of conflict. We help those people to get rid of their fears and to convince them that peace which recognises the interests of all parties, including those of the Palestinians who are the main victims of what has happened over the past 50 years, is not a shameful undertaking.
We are also clear in our openness towards the Israeli people and the peace movement inside Israel. This is why we remain committed to our obligations under the treaty signed with Israel and implement them in good faith.
We cannot ignore the developments taking place inside Israel and the fact that more and more Israelis are now ready to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state; this should make a lot of difference. We do not want to lose the confidence of these peace groups, while at the same time being aware of the sensitivities of our own public opinion.
As for trade with Israel, it is still limited and does not exceed $20 million annually. We are also pressing for comprehensive peace on all fronts and work for that goal on the basis of our conviction that for peace to be permanent, it has to be comprehensive. Only then can we talk about prosperity for the whole region, one which will allow free movement and trade.
Despite what you say, representatives of nearly all political groups in Jordan remain unhappy with Jordan's friendly relations with Israel, arguing that the commitment to peace goes unappreciated by Israel and especially by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
When we discussed the agreement with Israel in parliament, many people said this. But there was also a consensus on the importance of taking into consideration Jordan's supreme national interests and the fact all Arabs now agree that peace is a strategic option.The issue is not black and white. I think that what is making most people dissatisfied with peace is that it is not yet comprehensive. The late King Hussein was very critical of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Yet, in order to do this, you have to be inside and not outside of the peace process.
I think we have enough weight to say whatever we want to all parties. We definitely have our reservations on how the peace process was implemented. But in order to achieve peace, we have to exert every possible effort in order to persuade the other side to carry out its commitments.
Jordanian columnists came out very strongly against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's proposal to create a confederation with Jordan. What is the official position on this question?
We are very clear in our support for the Palestinian negotiator and in our desire to see the successful conclusion of talks between Israel and the Palestinians because the Palestinian cause is the central issue in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Thus, we will continue to support our Palestinian brothers and negotiators.We are aware that we are the closest party to the Palestinians and that is why we are always working on strengthening our relations.
The priority right now is to support the Palestinian negotiator in his efforts to regain legitimate Palestinian rights, including their right to establish an independent Palestinian state on their national soil.
After our Palestinian brothers conclude their negotiations and meet their national demands, we will be ready to discuss together the future relations which will serve the interests of both brotherly peoples and peace and stability in the region.
What is your expectation concerning the possible declaration of a Palestinian state when the 1993 Oslo deal expires on 4 May?
I cannot give a definite answer on that, but we hope that a face-saving formula will be found before that date.Finally, King Hussein voiced criticisms of the Iraqi government shortly before he passed away. How do you see the future of relations with Iraq?
At the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo on 24 January, there was a great concern with the Iraqi issue. This was evident in the participation of most Arab foreign ministers and the discussions that took place.We hope that as Arabs we can continue to work in order to find a solution which will benefit the Iraqi people and help ease their suffering. We also hope that the Iraqi government will help us, as Arabs, in achieving this goal.
