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The Great Gatsby
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Abdullah II of Jordan Quotes

Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result, through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

If everybody is happy, then something is wrong with the democratic process.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the make-or-break future of the country.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

And as an American colleague said to me several months ago, he said, ‘I think the challenge in Jordan – and, again, this is for the rest of the Middle East – we need to define what center is. And once we can define what center is to a Jordanian, then we can decide what’s left and what’s right of that.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Is Israel going to continue to be ‘Fortress Israel’? Or, as we all hope, become accepted into the neighborhood, which I believe is the only way we can move forward in harmony.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Together, we can create a world in which peace is real; in which every human being can thrive; in which all share the promise of our century. I believe we can succeed.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Over the past few years, the road to confrontation has shown its consequences: loss of innocent lives, destruction and fear. Most costly, however, was the loss of hope. The most precious gift that you can present to your peoples over the coming weeks is renewed hope born out of tangible progress on the ground.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

You’re always going to have extremists in every religion.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

We’re never going to be able to get rid of terrorism, because there is always going to be evil in the world.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Many occasions I’ve sat down with Israelis to say, where do you see your country in 10 years time, and work me back, so we can figure out the synergies and the connections between Israel and the rest of the Arab world. No Israeli has ever been able to answer that question.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Blowing up buses will not induce the Israelis to move forward, and neither will the killing of Palestinians or the demolition of their homes and their future. All this needs to stop. And we pledge that Jordan will do its utmost to help achieve it.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

We have peace with Israel. We’re actually the last man standing. So there is going to be immense pressure and people asking, ‘Why are we having this relationship when it’s not benefiting anybody?’ Obviously, my answer is you always benefit from peace.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Wikileaks didn’t help confidence with American administrations because of conversations made public so easily.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

I have the responsibility of over four million people, and I am in a position to do good, to be able to bring about a new life for my people, and I will continue to move in that direction. It’s a burden, but it needs to be done, and you have to have the courage and wisdom to see it through.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Political development should start at the grassroots.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Fifty-seven countries in the world, a third of the United Nations, do not recognize Israel. In a way, I think North Korea has better international relations than Israel.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

No matter what’s happening in the Middle East – the Arab Spring, et cetera, the economic challenges, high rates of unemployment – the emotional, critical issue is always the Israeli-Palestinian one.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

I think the success of democracy is not really police security; it’s the presence of a broad middle class. The stronger the middle class of a people is, the less you have to worry about one group coming in and exploiting the democratic process for its own ends.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Jordan has to show the Arab world that there’s another way of doing things. We’re a monarchy, yes, but if we can show democracy that leads to a two-, three-, four-party system – left, right and center – in a couple of years’ time, then the Muslim Brotherhood will no longer be something to contend with.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

When I talk to people in need, they tell me they want to hope; they are eager for opportunity; they are ready for better days. And I can tell you that every time their hopes are disappointed, all nations lose.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

When you get billions in aid and your weapons resupplied and your ammunition stock resupplied, you don’t learn the lesson that war is bad and nobody wins.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Many will view the compromises that will be made during your negotiations as painful concessions. But why not view them as peace offerings, ones that will provide in return the priceless gifts of hope, security and freedom for our children and our children’s?

– Abdullah II of Jordan

When there’s a status quo, usually what shakes everybody up is some sort of military confrontation, at which point we all come running and screaming to pick up the pieces.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

The more I support with my economic plans the building of a middle class, the quicker they’re going to turn around and say, ‘Hey, we want a bigger say in things.’ So, I knew what I was getting into right at the beginning. It’s the right thing to do.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

If you look at military and intelligence positions from the 1950s, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been against American national interests.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

Jerusalem is a time bomb that I fear is just waiting to go off.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

I look at Jerusalem as being a beacon for the three monotheistic religions.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat and tears. In certain countries it may be just sweat, and in some countries sweat and tears, and in some countries, as you can see, a lot of blood. I think initial instability is something that we are all extremely nervous of.

– Abdullah II of Jordan

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