King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed for the first time, the unprecedented public rift within the Royal Family, depicting it as tentative sedition involving his half-brother torn in the bud, but provoking anger, pain, and shock. The monarch seemed to be reassuring the Jordanians of the allegations of a former Crown Prince Hamzah, that the people were returning to business. Even though the crisis is eventually disappointed, the western monarchy still faces great challenges, as it faces growing internal disagreement. “Addressed the internal crises which erupted on Hamzah’s home the weekend, accusing him of being part of the plot for destabilising the Kingdom”, said Abdullah II bin AI-Hussein, King of Jordan.
Hamzah refused the allegations and said that he was simply calling for long-term corruption and mismanagement in the kingdom. This has not been the most difficult or dangerous challenge in the last few days for the stability of our nation, said Jordan. “Sedition was coming from within and without my home and as a brother and as leader of the Hashemite family nothing compares with my shock, pain, and anger, and as a leader of that proud person”, Abdullah suggested that the Hamzah movement had continued to be controlled. “The prince with his family in his palace, and under my care, was never seen or heard from in days”, he added.
There was no sign that up to 18 other prisoners, including members of one of the strong tribes that the monarchy has historically relied on, have been released by authorities. Authorities have ordered for every coverage of the royal controversy, to show how sensitive it is to how it is perceived. The gag order and willingness of the king to punish his brother reaffirmed the Jordanians’ red line of criticism of the monarch or the Royal Family.
“The crisis reinforced Hamzah’s popularity and brought the government critics and new supporters together. Doubling the King’s vague allegations of the plot could also create future problems. It could be stirring up protests to prosecute those detained, including members of a strong tribe. If they are released, there might be more questions about whether a plot ever exists” said Bessma Momani, a professor of international relations at Ontario’s Waterloo University.
Even before the palace drama, Jordan was grappling with an economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with one in four people out of work. Longstanding complaints about corruption and misrule have furled scattered protests in recent months. At the same time, the region’s strategic landscape is shifting, as powerful Gulf states pursue closer ties with Israel, potentially undermining Jordan’s role in the Middle East peace process.
“Abdullah expressed the US strong support for Jordan and emphasised the importance for the US, the region and the peace process of the king’s leadership”, said Joe Biden, President of United states of America. Jordan’s military chief came out of the crisis in the royal family, when Hamzah visited and warned that he would stop taking part in meetings with government critics. Though Hamzah accused the security staff of threatening him and ordered the general to leave his house, it escalated quickly.
Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for nearly a half-century before his death in 1999. Abdullah had appointed Hamzah as crown prince upon his succession but stripped him of the title in 2004. In the audio recording of the meeting between Hamzah and the staff head, Gen. Yousef Huneiti, the government ordered gag coverage of the dispute raising questions about his alleged foreign complot. No such complot, which was recorded and circulated online, was mentioned in the recording.
