JERUSALEM (AP) – Jordan’s Prince Hamzah made his first public appearance on Sunday since being placed under house arrest last week, submitting Qur’anic verses along with King Abdullah II to the tombs of their ancestors. The gesture was apparently an attempt at unity during a major Jordanian holiday.
Abdullah has been trying for the past few days to indicate that the situation is under control. But on Sunday’s staged event, it is unclear whether the king and his popular half-brother really set aside their differences. The conflict escalated into the most serious public rift in the ruling family in decades, although Hamzah denied any wrongdoing.
Hamzah joined members of the Jordanian royal family celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate that preceded the kingdom. The royal palace released a photo and video in which Abdullah and Hamzah, along with other dignitaries, joined the tomb of their father, the late King Hussein, and the late King Talal, their grandfather.
It turns out that a photo and video showing the family together reciting the opening chapter of the Qur’an was intended to send a message of unity to the kingdom at a sensitive time. The chapter, known as the Fatiha, is traditionally presented at people’s graves.
It was the first time Hamzah had been seen in public since he was placed in a form of house arrest on April 3 following allegations that he was involved in a ‘malicious conspiracy’ to destabilize the kingdom.
In statements leaked to the media, Hamzah denies the allegations and accuses the country’s government of corruption and incompetence. Hamzah said his actions were out of love for the country. But his past criticism of government policies, and more recently, his outreach to powerful tribal leaders who have criticized the government, are seen as threats to the king.
Abdullah said authorities thwarted an attempted riot involving his half-brother and about 18 suspects, saying he was angry and shocked. Abdullah also suggested that there was continued control over Hamzah’s movements, saying that the prince “was with my family in his palace under my care.”
Authorities have imposed a comprehensive gag order on any coverage of the royal dispute in a sign of how sensitive they are to how it is viewed. The gag order and the king’s willingness to punish his own brother also confirmed what Jordanians understood as their “red line” – an absolute ban on criticism of the monarch or the royal family.
Sunday’s appearance by Hamzah indicated he was safe, but it remains unclear whether he came voluntarily or was released from the restrictions on his movement. Hamzah, wearing a suit, traditional headdress and a blue surgical mask, prayed with his family members but did not comment publicly.
There was also no sign that authorities had released up to 18 other prisoners, including members of one of the powerful tribes on which the monarchy had historically relied.
Even before the palace drama, Jordan was grappling with an economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with one in four people out of work. Long-running complaints about corruption and mismanagement have fueled widespread protests over the past few months.
At the same time, the strategic landscape of the region is changing as powerful Gulf states pursue closer ties with Israel, which could potentially undermine Jordan’s role in the Middle East peace process.
The United States, along with allies of the United States, has done everything in the power of the king. Jordan has long been seen as a relatively stable Western ally in the Middle East in a turbulent region. But the recent year of the coronavirus has shaken the country’s largely tourism-dependent economy.
Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for almost half a century before his death in 1999 and is still a much-loved figure. Abdullah appointed Hamzah as crown prince after his succession, but deprived him of the title in 2004 and gave his eldest son the title instead.
Jordan has a large Palestinian population, with more than 2 million refugees from previous wars with Israel and their descendants. The monarchy granted most of their full citizenship, but historically treated them with suspicion. Its main base of support is powerful tribes from the east of the Jordan River, which dominate the security forces.
The monarchy has for decades cultivated close ties with the US and other Western nations, which they used to create a Palestinian state, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which captured Israel in Jordan during the 1967 war, to edit.
The strategy has hit a wall in recent years as the peace process has come to a standstill. Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintained close security ties, but relations soured amid a series of recent diplomatic conflicts.
At the same time, the Gulf countries have forged closer ties with Israel over their shared antipathy towards Iran. Relations were announced last year when the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel in an agreement marketed by the US. Saudi Arabia sometimes seems to weigh a similar step.