Speech of His Majesty King Abdullah II Statement on the election of Ehud Barak

Now that the Israeli people have made their decision in a very strong and clear fashion and have selected Mr. Barak as prime minister, it is abundantly obvious that the vast majority of Israelis؟like the vast majority of Jordanians and of the people of the region؟are keen in their desire to achieve real peace that brings to the region security and stability and to its people economic prosperity and improved living standards.

I have come to know Mr. Barak. I last met with him in Amman only a few days ago and I am convinced that he is strongly committed to the ideals and to the goals my father and Yizhak Rabin dedicated their lives to achieve. Mr. Barak knows, as best as any highly decorated military leader may know, the horror and suffering inflicted on the region and its people as a result of war and confrontation over many decades.

Therefore he realises how we؟all of us in our region؟strive for a better future for our children and for their children which can only be achieved with peace. On our part, we are ready and eager to work with Mr. Barak. He will find in us real partners and committed supporters. We look forward to working closely with the Prime Minister and his cabinet to put the peace process back on track and to accelerate its movement after this long and painful delay. I am confident that we will not have to say again that justice delayed is justice denied.

We look forward to entering the new millennium with more hope and energy to build a brighter future for our region based on our common vision and inspired by the noble principles of our great monotheistic religions. I am confident that our joint political will and our strong determination to work towards achieving a just, comprehensive and durable peace will guide us in the new era and will allow us to improve Jordanian-Israeli relations in a manner consistent with the vision and legacy of His Majesty King Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin.