King Abdullah II of Jordan recently condemned the international community for their alleged failure to protect Palestinian civilians during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly. He criticized Israel’s self-defense operations against the jihadist terror organization Hamas, which began after the invasion of Gaza by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. However, the king categorically rejected the possibility of Jordan taking in Palestinians fleeing war.
The Israeli government’s anti-terrorism initiative aimed to eliminate Hamas’s infrastructure and prevent future massacres like the one that occurred on October 7. The challenge is complicated by Hamas’s policy of using Palestinian civilians as human shields, hiding weapons and terror tunnels throughout Gaza’s schools, hospitals, and children’s bedrooms.
King Abdullah II called on world nations to act in protecting Palestinians but did not mention Jordan as a possible refuge for them. He warned against the idea of creating an alternative homeland for Palestinians within Jordan, emphasizing that the nation will never accept forced displacement.
The West has been open to accepting Palestinian refugees, while Mideast neighbors like Egypt and Jordan have been less enthusiastic. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suggested displacing Palestinians into the Negev Desert in Israel instead of offering them safe haven in neighboring countries.