31 October 2011

Abdullah bin al-Hussein of Jordan


Abdullah II bin al-Hussein has been the King of Jordan since his father's death in 1999. While his uncle had been designated the Crown Prince for over 30 years, Abdullah was selected as the successor two weeks before his father's death. The son of Hussein and his second, English-born wife, Abdullah was largely educated in the West, and he speaks English fluently.



The Arab Spring saw widespread protests in Jordan; listening to the popular demands, the King sacked the existing government, appointing a new prime minister and other officials. When the new government failed to produce the desired reforms, the King made more replacements in October 2011. Now alone among Arab states, Jordan has full diplomatic relations with Israel. While it is unpopular in the region to support Israel during a time when Israel seems to be doing little to promote peace, King Abdullah prefers peace to its alternative.

For more information, see http://nyti.ms/nsqfXy and http://n.pr/pDufia.



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