His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said it is important for Jordan to face current challenges with wisdom and a sense of responsibility and not to be swept up by slogans and extremist thoughts.

The country should not be a tool manipulated by external and regional powers that do not want the good of Jordan, the King told 800 tribal leaders who gathered at the King Hussein Ben Talal Convention Centre.

Stressing that empty slogans and false populist stands do not serve Jordan and its interests, the King warned that the region “is going through the most serious conflicts and regional and sectarian wars that threaten an explosion in the situation any time and any place now.”

But he assured them that Jordan has seen situations “more serious and perilous,” but it has proved strong and powerful enough to overcome them.

The King urged Jordanians “to work shoulder-to-shoulder to protect the homeland and preserve its achievements for which it has made big sacrifices.”

Jordan's strength and ability to support Arab brothers lies in its ability to preserve its national unity and a solid internal front, he said.

King Abdullah reiterated that only a strong Jordan can be helpful to the brotherly Arabs facing crises in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

The country has never abandoned its responsibilities towards Arab causes, he stressed, especially the Palestinian issue, “regardless of its humble capabilities and the unjust campaigns” seeking to cast doubt on Jordan's intentions throughout the past decades.

Regarding the conflict in Lebanon, the King reiterated that since the very beginning, “our stand was clear and outright in condemning [Israel's] aggression and calling for an end to the brutal acts against innocent children, women and the elderly Lebanese.”

“This stand by Jordan,” he said, “has been translated into facts on the ground and humanitarian and political support for the Lebanese people and government....”

The Jordan Times