The Path to Peace in the Middle East: HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal
On November 11, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan hosted His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, marking his visit to Tokyo as part of a year-long celebration of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Jordan. The prince spoke about the path forward for peace in the Middle East.
In his opening remarks, His Royal Highness (HRH) spoke about the challenges facing the Middle East and the world at large, in particular: violence, conflict and the absence of productive dialogue. “Peace should be people-to-people,” he said. “Polarities of hatred take us nowhere. Pluralities of respect and protection might lead us somewhere.”
Speaking to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, he noted that the region has been besieged by major wars nearly every decade since WWII. He also reflected on the concept of “necropolitics”, a sociopolitical theory coined by Cameroonian historian and political theorist Achille Mbembe, which outlines how social and political power dictates who is allowed to live and who is condemned to die. “Violence has become the norm. In fact, it is almost a way of life,” HRH said. Reflecting on his own work with international humanitarian efforts and leaders, including Japan’s Sadako Ogata, a former head of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he emphasized the importance of constructive and compassionate dialogue as the key to resolving conflict and building a foundation for peace.
HRH drew on his experience as Jordan’s Crown Prince from 1965 to 1999—during which he played a key role in the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty of 1994—to discuss the potentiality of past peace initiatives. He outlined the Arab Peace Initiative as a possible framework for broader regional peace, but lamented the lack of actionable steps from the international community, arguing that the biggest barrier to regional stability today can be summarized by the acronym TIM: territoriality, identity and migration. “There was always a hope that the Arab Peace Initiative would be taken seriously. But unfortunately, at the higher levels of political statements, we are not addressing issues of the region, as opposed to bilateral relations,” he said. “We have to stabilize the region if we want to move forward.”
In a world fraught with war and regional instability, can there be any hope for a more peaceful path forward? Despite his own observations about the prevalence of violence in the modern age, HRH was gently optimistic about the global responsibility we all have for creating a shared future. He cited the role of The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in providing humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees. He also spoke to Japan’s longstanding support for the creation of the United Nations Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) in 1947 and the subsequent backing of UNRWA, emphasizing the importance of these efforts in addressing the needs of refugees. He acknowledged the ongoing contributions of Japan, which have been crucial in ensuring that UNRWA continues to play a principal role in providing health, education and development support to Palestinian refugees, particularly in Jordan. HRH stressed the responsibility of occupying powers under international law to protect vulnerable populations, making the case that peace is achievable if we work together for it.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, where HRH had the opportunity to expand on his belief that the solution to the Middle East’s problems does not lie solely within the region, but requires global cooperation. He underlined the importance of inclusive diplomacy, stating that peace cannot be imposed from outside, but must come from within the region, with the participation of all parties, including marginalized groups. This approach, he argued, is essential for creating lasting peace that is centered on the needs of the people, which requires independent thinkers working together with compassion.
HRH said, “Let it not be said of us as a shared humanity that a moment might come where we see the end of our ability to think independently. Jus cogens [compelling law] is the most important element of the equation if we are to think about the future, which requires reconstruction, post-war reconstruction and development.”
To conclude the event and underscore his commitment to intellectual independence, HRH gifted the FCCJ with a collection of books, including his own works such as Search for Peace: The Politics of the Middle Ground in the Arab East and Palestinian self-determination: A study of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. His call for a collective, global approach to peace resonated as a hopeful vision for the future, one where cooperation and mutual respect pave the way for a world of stability and unity.
His parting words were an invitation for further discussion and collaboration: “Please come and visit us in Jordan. We can make a round table in Jordan with journalists from all over the region, which I would be very happy to attend.”
About the Speaker:
His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal is the brother of the late King Hussein of Jordan and the uncle of the current ruler, HRH King Abdullah II.
In his capacity as Jordan’s Crown Prince between 1965-1999, HRH had a critical role in the Jordan-Israel Peace negotiations that culminated in the Peace Treaty between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel in 1994.
Among the humanitarian causes he supports are the Arab Thought Forum, the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, The Royal Scientific Society, the West Asia North Africa Institute (WANA) and the Regional Security Centre in Jordan.
Some of the academic works authored by HRH include A Study on Jerusalem, Search for Peace, Palestinian Self-Determination and in 2004 in collaboration with Alain Elkann, To be a Muslim: Islam, Peace and Democracy. Fluent in Arabic, English and French, HRH also has a working knowledge of German, Spanish and Turkish. He studied Biblical Hebrew as an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford University from where he graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Oriental Studies.