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Royal Press Office

King Abdullah II has delivered a stark warning that the region faces doom unless a peace process leading to a Palestinian state is established.

The king made these remarks during an exclusive interview while preparing to participate in a high-level meeting in the Egyptian resort city focusing on a comprehensive peace proposal for the region.

This meeting takes place on the same day as the freeing of the last living Israeli hostages held in Gaza in return for Palestinian detainees in the custody of Israel.

“If we don't solve this problem,” King Abdullah said, “without a shared future for both peoples and a connection between the Arab and Islamic nations and Israel, we are destined for ruin.”

Palestinian Statehood Seen as Sole Solution

The king noted that the area has witnessed many unsuccessful efforts at peace and that enactment of a two-state solution—establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, next to Israel—remains the only viable option.

“We must reverse course, but with a clear political vision, because if this issue remains unresolved, we're going to be at it again,” the king said.

Israeli Opposition and Regional Conflict

Israel has repeatedly rejected a two-state solution. At the United Nations General Assembly last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forceful in his opposition.

“In fact, they essentially possessed a Palestinian state—in Gaza. How was it used? Reconciliation? Co-existence?”

“No, they attacked us repeatedly, without any provocation, they launched missiles into our urban centers, they killed innocent youths, they turned Gaza into a terror base from which they carried out the October 7 massacre,” he continued, referring to the Hamas-led attacks two years ago that triggered the current Gaza conflict.

However, it was at the same UN assembly that President Trump called Jordan’s king and other leaders from the area to a summit to outline his proposal for peace.

“His directive to us was that, ‘This must end. It needs to cease immediately.’ And we said, ‘As you know, Mr. President, if anybody can do it, you are the one,’” the king recalled.

Speaking of the hostilities of the past 24 months, including Israel's war with Iran and the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar last month, King Abdullah questioned: “How near were we to a broad war that would have encompassed the whole world?”

Trust Issues and Peace Prospects

Speaking of the Israeli prime minister, the king stated he did not “trust a thing he says.” But he believed there were people in Israel with whom Arab rulers could work to establish peace.

As for Hamas and its acceptance to hand over governance of Gaza to an independent Palestinian body under the conditions of the ceasefire agreement, the king said he had been assured by those “that are working extremely close to them, Egypt and Qatar, [who] are highly hopeful that they will abide by that.”

But the king cautioned that the “complexities lay in the details” of the U.S.-brokered deal, and that once a ceasefire had been achieved in Gaza it was vital that the US president stayed involved with the peace process.

“In our discussions with President Trump, he understands that it's not just Gaza, nor is it solely about a political vision. In fact he's looking at bringing peace to the whole region. This cannot occur unless the Palestinian people have a future.”

Jordan-Israel Relations and Historical Context

The kingdom has had a peace treaty with the state of Israel since 1994, despite opposition from many in the country. More than 50% of the country's population is of Palestinian origin. The two countries co-operate on some security issues.

The peace was agreed by the current monarch's late father, the former king, with the former Israeli leader. Rabin was killed by a Jewish extremist the following year. When questioned if he thought he would witness a comprehensive peace deal with a Palestinian nation within his own lifetime, King Abdullah responded:

“I have to, because the alternative would mean likely the end of the region. My late father, I recall in his final years, often said, ‘I desire peace for future generations.’ I have two grandchildren; they merit that tranquility. How awful would it be for them to grow up to say the same thing that my father uttered years ago?”

“And I think that's what motivates me and many of us in the region, that reconciliation is the only option. Because if it doesn't come about, how frequently is the Western world, the United States in particular, pulled into this conflict? Eight decades have passed. And I think it's time for all of us to say no more.”

More than 67,000 people have been fatally wounded by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7, 2023, as reported by health ministry officials in the Hamas-run territory.

The past does not provide great optimism, but King Abdullah maintains this is a moment of genuine possibility.