Over the past few years, the road to confrontation has shown its consequences: loss of innocent lives, destruction and fear. Most costly, however, was the loss of hope. The most precious gift that you can present to your peoples over the coming weeks is renewed hope born out of tangible progress on the ground.
Abdullah II of Jordan
It is always dangerous to underestimate anybody.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Together, we can create a world in which peace is real; in which every human being can thrive; in which all share the promise of our century. I believe we can succeed.
Abdullah II of Jordan
The monarchy that I hand over to my son is not going to be the same one that I have inherited.
Abdullah II of Jordan
If you believe that the killing of innocent people is right, then you are not part of my future.
Abdullah II of Jordan
No matter what’s happening in the Middle East – the Arab Spring, et cetera, the economic challenges, high rates of unemployment – the emotional, critical issue is always the Israeli-Palestinian one.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Today more than ever we need creative minds to address the issues of the age. And one of the most urgent is this: How can humanity know so much, achieve so much, and still fail so many people so badly?
Abdullah II of Jordan
I hope that none of the countries in the Middle East are planning anything but the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I like to look at the glass half full.
Abdullah II of Jordan
The Arab World is writing a new future; the pen is in our own hands.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Fifty-seven countries in the world, a third of the United Nations, do not recognize Israel. In a way, I think North Korea has better international relations than Israel.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I look at Jerusalem as being a beacon for the three monotheistic religions.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Jerusalem is a time bomb that I fear is just waiting to go off.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Mr. President, prime ministers, let us have ambitions: ambitions to move beyond the violence and occupation, to the day when two states, Palestine and Israel, can live together side by side in peace and security.
Abdullah II of Jordan
If you look at military and intelligence positions from the 1950s, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been against American national interests.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I’m easily entertained.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Nobody scares me.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Chemical weapons are something that scares everybody.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Historic changes and challenges. Breakthroughs in human knowledge and opportunity. And yet, for vast numbers across the globe, the daily realities have not altered.
Abdullah II of Jordan
When I talk to people in need, they tell me they want to hope; they are eager for opportunity; they are ready for better days. And I can tell you that every time their hopes are disappointed, all nations lose.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Whenever you have a crisis, you’re always going to have the extremists taking advantage of the situation.
Abdullah II of Jordan
The Arab Spring I think we will look back whether it’s two years, five years, ten or fifteen. And say it’s a good thing.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I think it’s almost impossible for any expert to predict for the rapid changes we see in the Middle East. They are rapid and they will continue for quite a while.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Blowing up buses will not induce the Israelis to move forward, and neither will the killing of Palestinians or the demolition of their homes and their future. All this needs to stop. And we pledge that Jordan will do its utmost to help achieve it.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Jordan has to show the Arab world that there’s another way of doing things. We’re a monarchy, yes, but if we can show democracy that leads to a two-, three-, four-party system – left, right and center – in a couple of years’ time, then the Muslim Brotherhood will no longer be something to contend with.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Political development should start at the grassroots.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I’ve benefited from the best of both societies and both cultures, East and West.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Earth’s dispossessed are vulnerable targets for extremists: those who teach that global justice is meaningless; that satisfaction can come only in violence, division, and intellectual isolation.
Abdullah II of Jordan
In our view, successful reform is not an event. It is a sustainable process that will build on its own successes – a virtuous cycle of change.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Many will view the compromises that will be made during your negotiations as painful concessions. But why not view them as peace offerings, ones that will provide in return the priceless gifts of hope, security and freedom for our children and our children’s?
Abdullah II of Jordan
Prime Minister Sharon, Prime Minister Abbas, I urge you today to end the designs of those who seek destruction, annihilation and occupation, and I urge you to have the will and the courage to begin to realize our dreams of peace, prosperity and coexistence.
Abdullah II of Jordan
The more I support with my economic plans the building of a middle class, the quicker they’re going to turn around and say, ‘Hey, we want a bigger say in things.’ So, I knew what I was getting into right at the beginning. It’s the right thing to do.
Abdullah II of Jordan
We want to be, I think, an example for the rest of the Arab world, because there are a lot of people who say that the only democracy you can have in the Middle East is the Muslim Brotherhood.
Abdullah II of Jordan
And as an American colleague said to me several months ago, he said, ‘I think the challenge in Jordan – and, again, this is for the rest of the Middle East – we need to define what center is. And once we can define what center is to a Jordanian, then we can decide what’s left and what’s right of that.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Is Israel going to continue to be ‘Fortress Israel’? Or, as we all hope, become accepted into the neighborhood, which I believe is the only way we can move forward in harmony.
Abdullah II of Jordan
We have peace with Israel. We’re actually the last man standing. So there is going to be immense pressure and people asking, ‘Why are we having this relationship when it’s not benefiting anybody?’ Obviously, my answer is you always benefit from peace.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Our response has been, ‘Well, let’s then make an effort to get the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit around the table.’ That hasn’t happened. So we only have ourselves to blame for this crisis.
Abdullah II of Jordan
There is resistance to change. There’s a resistance to ideas.
Abdullah II of Jordan
When we try to push the envelope, there are certain sectors of society that say this is a Zionist plot to sort of destabilize our country, or this is an American agenda.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Ten years ago I said, you know, my goal is to be able to get food on the table. What I’m trying to say by that is trying to create a vibrant, capable and effective middle class. The quicker and stronger that we can be able to do this, the easier it is for political reform to move forward.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat and tears. In certain countries it may be just sweat, and in some countries sweat and tears, and in some countries, as you can see, a lot of blood. I think initial instability is something that we are all extremely nervous of.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Each country its cost analysis is going to be different. So what we are you seeing in Syria, for example, is different than what’s going on in Jordan. The maps are being rewritten.
Abdullah II of Jordan
You’re always going to have terrorism.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result, through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.
Abdullah II of Jordan
The security and the future of Jordan is hand-in-hand with the future of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Abdullah II of Jordan
I think the success of democracy is not really police security; it’s the presence of a broad middle class. The stronger the middle class of a people is, the less you have to worry about one group coming in and exploiting the democratic process for its own ends.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Peace with Israel is a strategic imperative for Jordan.
Abdullah II of Jordan
When there’s a status quo, usually what shakes everybody up is some sort of military confrontation, at which point we all come running and screaming to pick up the pieces.
Abdullah II of Jordan
When you get billions in aid and your weapons resupplied and your ammunition stock resupplied, you don’t learn the lesson that war is bad and nobody wins.
Abdullah II of Jordan
Remember you don’t do anything in isolation.
Abdullah II of Jordan