Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres made history last week by meeting publicly at the White House with Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan.
This week it was the United Jewish Appeal’s turn.
On Monday, the crown prince addressed 1,100 delegates from the UJA Women’s Division attending its Lion of Judah conference here.
It was the first address by an Arab leader to the UJA and represented Jordan’s increasingly public, though still cautious, normalization of relations with Israel.
In his 12-minute talk, Hassan expressed concern for the “humanitarian need of people in the Middle East,” saying he was worried that human resource development was not addressed by a recent World Bank study on Palestinian and regional development.
“The Middle East will never again be the same,” said the prince. “The clock cannot be turned back. Failure in the upcoming negotiations will aid political extremism in the area. It is vital to maintain momentum.”
The prince, who was warmly received by his Jewish audience, said that “coordination between Jordan, Israel and the United States on issues dealing with day-to-day life, such as mid-level business, social-economic development and water development, are crucial.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
