Israel Mocks Jordanian King's UN Speech Criticizing Its Policies

Jordanian King Abdullah II dedicated a significant portion of his address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to sharp criticism of Israel. The King, whose country has a peace treaty with Israel, claimed that Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank are part of a policy aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. He further warned that Israel's activities in Syria pose a threat to Jordan's security.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, Abdullah asserted that Israel is attempting to "erase Palestinian life and impose a new territorial reality." He linked events in Gaza to Israeli actions in the West Bank, which he alleged are leading to "de facto annexation" and the displacement of Palestinians from their land. "These are two sides of the same Israeli strategy," he stated, describing the events in the West Bank as components of a single policy to force an entire population to leave its land, which he termed "forced displacement" and a "war crime."

The King then shifted to Syria, stating, "The expansionist appetite of the Israeli government has now become a regional threat, and Syria is the warning sign that the international community chooses not to see." He claimed that Israeli operations in southern Syria affect Jordan's northern border security and its water sources.

In response, Israel's Foreign Ministry attacked the King's remarks on international law and Palestinian rights. The ministry pointed out that in 1988, during the reign of his father, King Hussein, Jordan severed its ties to the West Bank and, according to the ministry, stripped Palestinians living there of their citizenship and rights. "It is particularly amusing to hear the King of Jordan speak passionately about international law and the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank," the ministry's response read. The Foreign Ministry listed the loss of voting and parliamentary candidacy rights for Palestinians in Jordan as consequences of that Jordanian move, concluding with a jab: "Tell us more about international law."