King warns against settling the Palestinians in Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah II stressed his rejection to settling the Palestinian refugees on a permanent basis in his country. In a statement issued by the Royal Court, the king called for challenging any plan intending to deprive the Palestinians from the right to return back to their homes and establish their own independent state on the Palestinian soil, and not in any other place.

These remarks come at a time when Israel is unilaterally pulling its troops and settlements out of the occupied Palestinian Gaza Strip, and Israel's intention to do the same regarding some West Bank settlements; efforts that some see as part of an Israeli attempt to end the Palestinian -Israeli conflict on Israeli terms without concern for the "Right Of Return" to Palestinians in Jordan and other countries of the region. Others have concern that, not allowing Palestinian refugees to return home, may force of lumping the West Bank territory with that of Jordan, in an official or semiofficial entity, that would change the composition and nature of the kingdom of Jordan.

During his meeting with members of the Jordanian parliament and al-Ayan (upper house) and former prime ministers, the king warned against any schemes aiming at re-drawing the map of the region or settling certain historical issues at the expense of Jordan.

The Jordanian king added that Jordanians of Palestinian origins should be the first to challenge such "attempts" which do not only target the Palestinian people, but also Jordan.

In an earlier meeting with the Jordanian parliament in May this year, the King said his country "will not be an alternative homeland for anyone," stressing that "Jordan is capable of withstand all such challenges." Estimates indicate that almost half of Jordan's population which tolls 5.4 million are of Palestinian origin.

The USA stressed through its secretary of state Condaleezza Rice to the Jordanian king in June this year the importance of Jordan's security noting that Washington will oppose any developments in the region that might inflect a danger on the interest of the Jordanian Hashemite Kingdom.