In Jerusalem, His Majesty the King renewed the affirmation of the Hashemite custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites, in a message that confirms the continuation of Jordan's responsibility towards the city and the preservation of its historical and legal status, considering this an essential part of protecting peace opportunities and preventing the change of Jerusalem's identity and status.
From Palestine to Syria, the scope of the speech expanded to directly reach Jordan's national security, as His Majesty the King linked the developments in southern Syria with the security of borders and water, affirming that the protection of the northern borders and water security represents part of the protection of Jordan's national security. This message reflects the expansion of the concept of security in Jordanian calculations to include vital resources alongside borders and defensive capabilities.
At the same time, the speech presented a different vision of the relationship between security and development, as Jordan, while dealing with the threats of terrorism, drug smuggling, and the repercussions of regional crises, works to enhance its economic position through trade, industry, technology, and linking the Gulf with the Mediterranean. Here, the Jordanian geography turns into a strength element that can be employed in building an economy more linked to trade corridors and regional partnerships.
This equation reveals that development in the royal speech is part of the national security system, as the state needs a safe environment to attract investment and develop the economy, and it also needs a strong economy that enhances its ability to face regional shocks and maintain its ability to move and make decisions.
In parallel, diplomacy emerged as a key tool in managing this environment. Jordan extends its hand for dialogue and work with various parties, but at the same time, it preserves its interests and principles. This equation gives Jordan's foreign policy a wide space to move in a region where alliances and balances of power are changing rapidly.
The broader message in the speech was the call to restore confidence in the international system, law, institutions, and agreements. Extended crises need political solutions, and wars alone do not produce lasting peace, and international rules lose their effectiveness when the ability to apply them consistently declines.
Hence, the contents of the speech gather in one image: Jordan defends a political solution to the Palestinian issue, maintains its role in Jerusalem, draws clear boundaries for its security interests in Syria and water, faces cross-border threats, and at the same time builds its economy, enhances its partnerships, and uses diplomacy to expand the space for movement.
This is the political value of the New York speech. Jordan has presented the world with a vision of its role in the phase of transformation: a state that protects its security and interests, adheres to its principles, builds its economic capacity, continues to play its role in supporting peace and stability, and calls for an international system in which rules are applicable and principles are translatable into actions.
In conclusion, the speech of His Majesty the King conveyed a clear, direct, and sincere Jordanian message that the protection of regional and international security, the defense of Palestine and Jerusalem, the building of the economy, the expansion of partnerships, and the restoration of the effectiveness of the international system are all interconnected paths in creating a more stable future for Jordan and the region.
