By Katie Wagner, Staff Writer
King Abdullah II of Jordan painted a picture of a more stable and prosperous Middle East and a safer world that could exist if immediate action is taken by the United States, during a talk at Princeton University on Friday.
In the new world King Abdullah described, 60 years of conflict, violence and occupation involving Israel and Palestine would be in the past; Palestinians would have a homeland offering hope, respect and a future; Israel would be secure and accepted in the Middle East and around the world; a new partnership between the United States and Arab and Muslim peoples would exist; and the Middle East would be a strategic region that is able to turn to the future as peace arrives.
”We need a strong authority that can act swiftly,” King Abdullah said. “We need to act now for time is running out.”
While King Abdullah emphasized the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the only problem in the Middle East that he thinks demands immediate peaceful intervention by the U.S., he said a “long-term, strategic” partnership between the Arab world and the U.S. must begin with a resolution of this specific conflict.
”The Arab and Muslim states have committed to an unprecedented and unanimous peace initiative,” King Abdullah said. “We have a chance to answer this third of the world who are not at peace with Israel and who demand freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people.”
He added that achieving the new Palestinian state that he thinks is necessary requires the United States to be “completely involved, to influence the course of discussions, monitor progress and help bridge the gap” to ensure a final agreement between Israelis and Palestinians is reached by the end of 2008.
After being asked for further explanation from a member of the audience of why now is the critical time for America to commit to driving negotiations in the Middle East, King Abdullah attributed 2008’s significance to being George W. Bush’s last year as president.
He added that he believed the Middle East has made some gains during President Bush’s time in office and that it will take two to three years for his successor to even begin “to take a look at the Middle East.”
While King Abdullah received three standing ovations in his less than half-hour talk in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall, after his address some members of the audience said they were unhappy with statements he made regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
”I was disappointed that he put the Palestinian issue at the core of what’s holding back Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries,” said Polly Strauss, a Princeton resident, who attended King Abdullah’s talk. “They need to educate their women and they need to train the next generation on how to keep up with the global economy.”
Ms. Strauss added, however, that she appreciated King Abdullah’s voice of moderation and that it was this combined with Israel and Jordan’s peaceful relationship that drew her to the talk.
