After Karak attack, Jordan’s King Abdullah promises to confront terrorists with national unity
A firm response to the attack
Abdullah said the kingdom would not be shaken by last month’s deadly church attack in Karak, a city in southern Jordan. He rejected any connection between the attackers and Jordanian society.
Al Jazeera reporter Ahmed Jarrar said Abdullah outlined a response to terrorism and extremism built first on national unity and public awareness. The army and security services would support those efforts, he reported, with forceful action against threats.
Warnings about regional threats
Abdullah called Israeli expansionist ambitions the biggest danger to the region’s future and security. He pointed to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and repeated assaults in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
He also said Jordanians’ access to water should not be controlled by another party. Jarrar linked the remark to concerns that Israeli projects could threaten Jordan’s water security.
Jordan’s ties and domestic concerns
Jordan is a close ally of the United States and signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Millions of Jordanian citizens are of Palestinian origin. Abdullah told the government to improve living conditions and said differences of opinion could strengthen the country when Jordan’s interests remained the shared aim.
Key points
- Abdullah said Jordan would not be shaken by the Karak church attack.
- He called for national unity and public awareness to counter terrorism and extremism.
- He described Israeli expansionism as the region’s greatest threat and raised concerns about Jordan’s water security.