Jordan’s King Abdullah II says the kingdom would not be shaken by a deadly attack on a church in the southern city of Karak last month. Opening a new session of parliament in the capital, Amman, on Monday, Abdullah said “the treacherous hand of terrorism” had reached out “to test the resilience of our state and the resolve of our people”. The king asked lawmakers to stand for a minute of silence for the victims, whose relatives attended the session.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Jarrar, reporting from Amman, said Abdullah made clear that Jordan would confront “terrorism and extremism” by relying first on national unity and public awareness, backed by the army and security services, which would strike “with an iron fist”. Abdullah also addressed regional tensions, warning that Israeli expansionism is the greatest threat to the Middle East. Jarrar said this reflected concerns that Israeli projects threaten the kingdom’s water security.
Jordan, a close United States ally, signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, and millions of its citizens are of Palestinian origin. Jarrar said the king’s third message was directed at lawmakers as he stressed that the nation is the source of authority and debate in parliament is healthy as long as it serves the national interest. He also warned officials against abusing their positions.
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