Your Majesty,
Since October 7, Israel has rained down missile after missile on Gaza. White phosphorus blinds the population as there is no end in sight to the killing. A dazzling city that hugs Palestine’s shore is being levelled into dust and rubble. Two million people are stuck in an open air prison smaller than Toronto. No people in, no people out. No aid in, no aid out. Water and electricity supplies are rapidly dwindling, so the occupier may starve those who survive shelling to death. There are tens of thousands of Qassam militants in Gaza, but two million are made to pay the price of resistance. For Israel, Geneva is a recommendation and the UN just a formality.
Every day, when one thinks “surely it can’t get any worse”, Israel commits a crime that even Satan would be shocked by. In spite of the indiscriminate shelling, the people of Gaza thought that Israel would have some sort of limit. So, along with the many patients crammed inside, many families took refuge in Al Ahli-Maamdani hospital. Before 7:30 PM on October 17th, an airstrike decimated it. Hundreds upon hundreds are dead. The floor is littered with limbs. As the hospital’s head doctors gave a press conference, the ground around the podium was enveloped by corpses. In an effort to justify their offensive, Israel claimed Hamas beheaded forty babies. Last night, hundreds of children were killed all in one go. In a region where almost half the population is under 18, it is not militants who suffer the most from Israel’s bombings.
Fellow Arabs and Muslims are ritually slaughtered with American-bought weapons. Only 150 kilometres away in Jordan, many feel rage, anguish and a burning sense of disappointment in Arab and Islamic solidarity that has only been symbolic thus far. Israel’s attempted expulsion of one million Palestinians from Gaza is reminiscent of the exoduses of 1948 and 1967, a crime imposed on many of our parents and grandparents. Of course, Jordan has been unwavering in its humanitarian support. His Majesty has met with world leaders appealing for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid while speaking out against Israel’s crimes in Gaza. On the ground, Jordan is attempting to send in aid, and runs a field hospital with 182 members that work day and night to help the Palestinians of Gaza. But we are in a critical time. This critical time calls for critical measures. Your Majesty, please expel the Israeli ambassador.
King Hussein, may Allah have mercy on him, dedicated his life to achieving peace and stability in the region. In the aftermath of the First Intifada and the Oslo Accords, the aging King thought that a peace deal between Israel and Jordan would be a catalyst for harmony throughout the region. Optimistic and satisfied after decades of working to ensure the children of Abraham would act like brothers, His Majesty said “When we come to live next to each other, as never before, we will be doing so, Israelis and Jordanians, together, without the need for any to observe our actions or supervise our endeavors. This is peace with dignity, this is peace with commitment.” Of course, Jordan has honoured its commitment as a country that prides itself on diplomacy. Israel, however, has only spat on the agreement. Israel’s reckless colonialism and continued infringement of Palestinian rights has created a situation where we have wars more than twice a decade. With Iran making threats in response to Israeli aggression, it’s clear the fascist government in Israel can cause the region to spiral into an abyss.
Shortly after our peace deal and the death of your beloved father, the Second Intifada began when Israel switched back to expansionist rhetoric. We said that we must continue with the peace process, that this is a fork in the road. Yet, it has only gotten worse. Even before this recent siege, over 6,000 Palestinians were killed by Israelis according to the United Nations since 2008. This year alone, 247 Palestinians had died by October 7. That’s almost one killed a day. Every day in Palestine consisted of the shedding of blood and a mother’s tears. Now, the situation is indescribable. One can have their opinions of Hamas, but flattening the homes of our brothers and sisters and wiping out entire lineages is not what a peace partner does. That is only regarding Palestine, the brother country of Jordan. What about our own country? An Israeli minister made a speech with a map envisioning Jordan as part of Israel. Why would the Zionists do that? Perhaps they need even more “living space’? Europe regretted appeasing fascists in the ‘30s, let us learn from history!
Recall His Majesty’s quote: “It would behoove the world to become used to this fact: that without a just solution to the Palestine tragedy, there can be no stable peace in the Middle East.”
Because of the lack of new ideas for the past two decades, we talk of a “stagnating” peace process. In reality, whatever was left of the peace process has been undone. The illusion of a “peace process” only benefits Israel. Israel can pretend that negotiations are just suffering from growing pains while it actively disregards all its commitments. All this imaginary process does is give Israel a PR boost, and by emphasizing the need for this peace process, the countries historically involved inadvertently assist them. Jordan is a country that has always been firm on its commitment to Palestine and a stable Middle East. This outdated rhetoric does not align with the current situation, whereas expelling the ambassador will send a fresh message to the world.
Your Majesty, I have deep respect for your commitment to diplomacy. This was the way of your noble father, who always fought for peace in God’s Holiest Land. Yet what His Majesty dealt with in 1994 is far different than what we face today. Diplomacy involves two sides cooperating, and right now, only one side of the River wants to play ball. Of course, Your Majesty and our country are well respected in the West, but Israel’s influence and American Strategic Interests make this an uphill battle. The people have had it, and they are torching the embassy of the occupation as we speak. Your Majesty represents our desires and aspirations, and it is clear that no matter how much Jordan brings all parties to the table, one usual suspect always flips it over. This approach will not work with a genocidal parasite that infects millions every day.
From Mohammad Rasoul Kailani
Cartoon by the great Emad Hajjaj
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