His Majesty King Abdullah II said the Middle East was facing enormous challenges that threatened efforts to bring about peace, security and stability in the region, warranting a concerted global effort to stop the region from sliding into further violence and turbulence and enable its people to realize a better future.Yup - Egyptian chaos, Syria civil war and resulting refugee crisis, Lebanon's infighting, water shortages through the region, the rise of Islamism, Jordan's own energy crisis - all of those problems are dependent on creating yet another Arab state and making Israel even tinier than it is.
He told the annual Sun Valley Economic Forum in the American state of Idaho that the stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the continuation of the Syrian crisis and its repercussions were the two key challenges threatening the future of peace and stability.
The King reiterated that the Palestinian issue was the crux of the conflict in the region, stressing the need for action to find a just and lasting settlement according to the two-state solution – an independent and viable Palestinian state on 1967 borders and living in peace and security alongside Israel.
Blaming Israel for anything is really a hard habit to break for Arab leaders.
The real question is how come no one at this economic forum seemed to challenge the king on his idiocy.
Then again, it appears that he is just repeating the Obama administration/s Middle East strategy. The religion of linkage is as powerful as ever.