Many Jordanians welcome Abdullah's shift in policy RELATED VIDEO CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports on Abdullah's efforts to tighten relations between Jordan and the Arab countries Windows Media 28K 80K

July 2, 1999
Web posted at: 8:07 p.m. EDT (0007 GMT)

From Correspondent Jerrold Kessel

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- Since coming to the Jordanian throne after the death of his revered father, King Hussein, King Abdullah II has been quietly re-directing his country's international policy away from Hussein's public embrace of Israel.

During the five months that he has been king, Abdullah has crisscrossed the Middle East, meeting with a variety of Arab leaders at a galaxy of summits. At the same time, Jordan has reportedly decided to end its participation in joint naval maneuvers with Israel and Turkey that peeved other Arab states.

However, there is no indication that Jordan will turn its back on peaceful co-existence with Israel. While that remains a key factor in Abdullah's international policy, it is no longer the driving force.

"The fact that we are returning now to a more traditional Jordanian policy, of being at the point of balance between Israel and the Arabs, is much more in the interests of Jordan in terms of future stability," said Middle Eastern affairs expert Patrick Seale.

"It's only a matter of concentration. The emphasis now is on the Arab side of the equation," said Taher El Masri, a former Jordanian prime minister.

According to one analyst, 'King Abdullah is lucky because he was not groomed to be king'

Many Jordanians who believe that peace with Israel hasn't brought the promised rewards welcome the strategic shift.

"His priorities are very good, his statements very good, meaningful and direct," El Masri said. "If it is a kind of surprise to some, it's because he was not known to us."

Abdullah was an obscure military officer before Hussein, in a surprise move, picked him as heir shortly before he died of cancer. Some observers believe that has worked to Abdullah's advantage as he makes his own mark internationally.

"King Abdullah is lucky because he was not groomed to be king," said political analyst Labib Qumhawi. "He utilized the fact that he was not part of the old legacy, and the fact that he had to get acquainted with other heads of state, especially in the Arab world, to try to reintroduce Jordan without the hiccups of the past."

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