His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech at the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly not only focused on the Palestinian problem as the main conflict in the region but broke new ground on the importance of the two-state solution to it.

The two-state solution, the King said, entails not only the creation of a viable, independent, sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital but also a secure Israel, fully part of its own region, and recognised by Arab and Muslim states around the world.

This, in essence, is the Arab world’s formula for peace not only between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples but a broader deal encompassing establishing peaceful ties between the entire Arab and Muslim worlds on one hand and Israel on the other.

The King was very clear on Jerusalem, the heart and soul of the Palestinian conflict, when he asked “how long must Jerusalem, a Holy City to more than half of the world’s people, face dangers to its multifaith heritage and identity?  How can we accept a status quo of continuing crisis and bigotry?” The world is still waiting for answers to these questions!

In this, the King emphasised the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem. There is a universal endorsement of this noble role which alone can save the sanctity of holy places in East Jerusalem from all hostile designs.

There is a lot to be read in the King’s address to the UN as it offers a roadmap for bringing back peace and normalcy to the Middle East and beyond.

In addition to the cause of Palestine and challenges facing the Holy City of Jerusalem, His Majesty also tackled other issues in his speech, including the war on terror, the current refugee crisis, Islamophobia and the need to empower the youth.

As in earlier instances, the King called for a holistic approach to tackle the multifaceted challenges and dangers of terrorism and radicalism that incorporate combating poverty, disease and the denial of a whole range of economic and social rights.

These problems require a global response and continuous concerted efforts to address them as failing to tackle them would only make them continue to exist and to impact a larger number of the world’s population. 

SOURCE:

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