The Jordanian King succeeded in shifting the focus to Egypt and the Arabs
Daoud Kuttab
King Abdullah II entered the White House facing a difficult situation. On the one hand, the head of the Jordanian state was armed with unprecedented support from the people in Jordan, the Arab peoples and the world to reject the evil American-Israeli plan to displace the Palestinian people from their land, especially the people of Gaza.
But on the other hand, the king needed to maintain his relationship with the U.S., president, the most powerful country in the world, and a strategic ally to Jordan.
The King succeeded in overcoming this dilemma by offering a huge and costly humanitarian proposal: the absorption and treatment of two thousand children from Gaza, which would certainly mean hosting at least ten thousand Palestinians from Gaza if we consider the children’s families.
The king did not pledge to resettle the children and their families, but his offer for Jordan to host them was well-received by the US president, which made the original task of displacement and resettlement easier.
King Abdullah avoided public confrontation with the president, leaving the expression of categorical rejection to private conversations behind the scenes.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the White House meeting was the king’s success in shifting the issue from a Palestinian or Palestinian-Jordanian issue to an Arab challenge requiring an Arab response.
In a quick review of the king’s brief remarks (which did not exceed 405 words) compared to Trump’s 3219 words, we see that the king mentioned Egypt four times in a repeated reference to the role adopted by Egypt in presenting the Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing the Palestinian people.
We also note that the king repeated the word Arab five times about the Arab summit conference scheduled to be held on the 27th of this month in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The king said: “The response to Trump’s proposal will come from many countries, Arab and international,” emphasizing that the US president” looks forward to us Arabs coming here to discuss the comprehensive plan.
The focus on Egypt and the Arabs came at a time when the king tried hard to minimize the focus on Jordan, using the word Jordan only twice, compared to four times for Egypt and five times for the Arabs.” Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, and of the people in the region, especially my people of Jordan, and we’re going to have some interesting discussions today. I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2000 children that are either cancer children, or in a very ill state, to Jordan as quickly as possible and then wait for, I think, the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the President to work on Gaza challenges,” the king said.
Below is the text of the statements made by the King as provided by the White House
His Majesty: Well, Mr. President, I think we have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries. We’re being invited by Mohammed bin Salman to discussions in Riyadh. I think the point is, how to make this work in a way that is good for everybody. Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially my people of Jordan, and we’re going to have some interesting discussions today. I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2000 children that are either cancer children, or in a very ill state, to Jordan as quickly as possible and then wait for, I think, the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the President to work on Gaza challenges.
His Majesty: Well I think as I said earlier that the President is looking at Egypt coming to present their plan. As I said, we will be in Saudi Arabia to discuss how we can work with the President and with the United States. So I think that let us wait until Egyptians can come and present it to the President and let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
His Majesty: Well I think what I said, I will have to look at the best interests of my country and I think the President is very happy that we do this thing with 2,000 children as quickly as possible, and again, I believe that the President is looking forward to getting a group of us Arabs here to discuss the overall plan.
His Majesty: The response will be from a multitude of countries, Arab and international. I know the Europeans want to step in and again, we’ll probably have to look to the help of the United States to make sure that COGAT, which is the clearing agency on the Israeli side, makes it as efficient as possible because 2,000 kids, the best way to get to them is by helicopters and get them straight to our institutions. I also believe that quite a few countries also probably like to take some of those kids and have them treated in their hospitals.
