Many will comment that Hussein Ibn Talal of Jordan was not a true friend. They will point to the ravages suffered by the Historic City of Jerusalem under his rule between 1952 and 1967. They will point to the utter destruction found in the Old City upon its return to Jewish hands. They will point to Jordanian participation in the Six Day War. They will point to Jordanian safe havens for fedayeen terrorists in the 1950's and 1960's. They will point to continued Jordanian hospitality for Hamas terrorists today.
But let us step back from these issues today and concentrate instead on the larger picture. Hussein Ibn Talal was the longest serving functioning head of state in the world when he died. This in a region where he lead the militarily weakest state. He constinuously grappled with conflicting loyalties both domestically, and in a region where his kingdom shares borders with Syria and Iraq, with Saudi Arabia, and with Israel. Hussein Ibn Talal was a master of political maneuvering, and he used this great skill to survive in a region where he was often the most targeted personality around.
Despite the fact that it took Hussein four decades to reach a formal peace agreement with Israel, and despite Jordan's participation in the Six Day War, peace has long been a common strategic aim of Jordan and Israel. Hussein's grandfather, Abdullah I had already undertaken considerable negotiations with Israel's newborn leadership in 1950. Hussein watched as Abdullah was murdered for his policies. Yet Hussein Ibn Talal continued with the legacy left him by his grandfather.
Quiet diplomacy throughout his term led to a number of friendly gestures between the two countries, the most important of which occurred in 1970. As Palestinian terrorists collected hi-jacked planes in Amman and used them as a catalyst for a civil war, Israel massed its forces opposite the Syrian-Jordanian border. This prevented Syria from invading Jordan to assist in the insurrection, and allowed Hussein the ability to crush the uprising. Hussein's successful defeat of the Palestinians, and their subsequent ouster from the country, allowed the Jordanian-Israeli border to become quiet and safe for decades. This calmness along Israel's longest border was further enhanced when Hussein relinquished any Jordanian claims to Judea and Samaria in 1988. That move allows Israel to deal with Palestinian groups in a much smaller and confined area, rather than forcing Israel to defend the entire length of its border. The continued quiet along this border provided the groundwork for a peace treaty between the two countries in 1994.
The treaty between Israel and Jordan contains all the qualities necessary for it to be a lasting peace. There are agreements of mutual defense, and there are common interests so vital that they override any conflicts that might occur between the two states. Tourism, environmental co-operational, exploitation of minerals found along the border, and agricultural and educational exchanges are all being encouraged. Israel assists Jordan in the fields of trade and transportation by providing access to Mediterranean ports, and international projects are aiding development in the Gulf of Eilat, including ecological co-operation to protect the Gulf. Co-operation is taking the place of enmity and this will continue and flourish as Hussein's legacy both to his own people, and to Israel.
The best example of this co-operation and friendship was Hussein's insistence, following the massacre of seven Israeli schoolgirls by a Jordanian soldier in 1997, on paying a condolence call to each of the grieving families. Those families appreciate the honesty and intimacy of such a gesture, and they are represented at today's funeral in Amman.
To paraphrase the words of Israeli President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, I eulogize Hussein Ibn Talal thus:
Hussein Ibn Talal was a man who knew war and struggled for peace. He was a model of leadership for the entire Middle East, an example of how an enemy can become a friend. He was a courageous statesman, a figure who led with strength, and a visionary of a brighter future. May his struggles, his courage, his strength, and his vision continue to serve his people and the entire region, and may the result be the lasting peace for which he dreamed and worked.
True friendship is a relationship that transcends national tragedy and sorrow. It is one that strengthens at a time of weakness, reinforces at a time of destruction, and protects at a time of danger. In the spirit of these qualities, Israel has lost a true friend. Shalom, Chaver! Salaam Sahbak!
Copyright 1999. Reproduction in print or electronic format by permission only.
