Jordan Embassy in Washington D.C.’s Post

Transcript

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will make its own decisions over how to respond to Iran's attack. Netanyahu made the comment after meeting yesterday with foreign ministers of Britain and Germany, who, along with the US, have been asking Israel to show restraint in an effort to avoid a larger conflict. Netanyahu, however, says that while he appreciated the advice, Israel will quote, do whatever is necessary to defend itself. Israel's war cabinet has met several times since Saturday's attack, but no decision has been made yet on how the country will respond. Officials say they are considering a range of options. Meanwhile, Iran's president warned yesterday that even the tiniest attack by Israel would bring a, quote, severe and harsh response. Joining us now, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, I'm in Safadi. He will attend today's UN Security Council meeting. In New York, on the situation in the Middle East and we thank you for coming on this morning. Thank you so much for being with us. Let me begin as we talk about Iran, obviously what what they've done across the region, whether it's Israel or whether it's or the Saudis been something that that I know you and your country's been monitoring. Talk about any provocations or activities inside Jordan that Iranian agents. That may be doing right now to try to destabilize your government. Good morning to you all. I I mean, we've had our issues with Iran for decades. Our we always said that we wanted to have the region free, free from conflict. We wanted to have good relations with Iran and in order for those good relations to be developed, Iran has to stop interfering in the affairs of the Arab world and and and and stop meddling in ways that would destabilize us and and others in the region. We have issues with militias and our border to the north that are supported by Iran. That continue to try and smuggle drugs and and weapons into into Jordan. That said however, Iran retaliated to the Israeli attack on its embassy in Damascus. That retaliation increased tensions in the region. Iran has said now that it will no longer take any any further action against Israel. The challenge now is to make sure that Israel does not retaliate and we focus on the real issue which is the ongoing war on Gaza the absent of. Political horizons for peace and and try and and end the war immediately and creates A credible irreversible path towards solving the Palestinian Israeli conflict so that Palestinians, Israelis, all of us in the region can live in peace and and and dignity. And if the Palestinian problem is solved, then we in the region would be the first to tell Iran, stay out of it, you have, you have no business interfering in our affairs. So Iran is using that conflict. If we end that conflict then. Iran will have no excuse to go ahead with the with its policies towards the region and and and and and that that inflate tension. So Sir, Israel seems to feel the need at least to reserve the right to respond to Iran. If they do, what do you see might happening after that And is there any any conversation happen happening with Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to try and perhaps talk about tamping down the need to respond. Then if Israel does respond retaliate will be facing the abyss of of regional. War. Everybody's telling Netanyahu not to respond. the US, Europe, all of us are saying unequivocally that any retaliation would risk further escalation in in in in the region. And again, to put it frankly up, Netanyahu has always wanted to provoke a confrontation with Iran, drag the US and the Western to that confrontation so that he saves him his career now as the pressure on Netanyahu. To stop the war on Gaza and to start negotiations that would take us to peace increases. He's trying to divert attention away from Gaza. So we need to all be very, very careful not to allow Netanyahu to impose his agenda of war on all of us, because the consequences will be detrimental, will be extremely dangerous to us and the region, to the US, to the whole world. Yeah, it's it's fascinating that Benjamin Netanyahu says he will do whatever he wants when of course it's the United States, the UK, Jordan, other countries that stepped in and helped out and work were brought into it. When when Iran attacked last time and I suspect would be brought into it again. Let me ask you about something that just broke an axious about the possibility of the UN vote on Palestine, UN member recognition. What are your thoughts about this? Is it is now the time? Do you believe it may be too premature? What, what? What? What's your thought? We've always said that the two state solution is the only answer to the conflict. It's the only path to the peace that will guarantee the safety, security of both the Palestinians and Israel. We would have wanted to have this solution agreed to among the parties, but unfortunately, Netanyahu saying publicly, has been saying publicly even before October 7th that he will not allow for the two state solution to happen. He will suffocate the Palestinian people's right to statehood. And and freedom and midges on the ground, the building of settlements, the confiscation of land are rendering that solution and viable. So again the preferred option would have been to have a negotiated agreement that would have resulted in an agreed to peace that everybody would embrace and move forward with towards a better future for the region. But the reality is if all of us in the world, I mean the US says it wants the two state solution, Europe says it wants it. The whole Arab world says we're committed to it. Netanyahu is saying no. So what do we do? Do we allow? Netanyahu to veto that and doom the future of the region to more conflict or suffering? Or do we impose a solution that is in the interest of the Israeli people, people in the interest of the Palestinians? And we have to really make a differentiation here. Supporting Netanyahu and his agenda of war and the agenda of radical extremist ministers in his cabinet is not supporting Israel. Supporting Israel is supporting peace, because peace will fulfill the rights of the Israelis, the security. And will ensure their acceptance in the region and will allow us all in their region to live in peace and security and and let me just refer to Jordan where our country of peace we made peace 30 years ago. We're committed to that peace because we believe it's it's the right thing to do. But now with the war on Gaza with the absence of political horizons for decades since Netanyahu took over. Our people are saying we no longer believe in that piece. On the weekend we were in the crossfire our skies were lit up by Iranian. Drones and missiles and retaliation to that. And we we have said and we we will continue to see it. We will never allow Israel or Iran to turn Jordan into a battleground and we will defend our sovereignty and will defend the safety of our people because any of those missiles or drones could have fallen enjoyed. And so to Israel and to Iran, we say we will not allow you to violate our space and endanger our people. And to Israel and to the whole world we say work with us to achieve the just and lasting peace that can only be realized through the two state. Solution so that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis will ever have to live. The horror since October seven. And we all are focused on creating a future of peace opportunity for all our peoples. Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians, everybody else. Yes. Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. I'm in Safadi, Thank you very much for coming on the show this morning. We thank you so much. Thank you for having. Hey, everyone. MSNBC has a new and improved app. You'll get real time alerts and analysis. Live blogs, in-depth essays, video highlights and the best 2024 election coverage. Download the new MSNBC app. Here's how to do it. You tap on the App Store on your phone. You hit search on the bottom right corner. You type in MSNBC. You click on the MSNBC app. You click on Get or the cloud icon and enjoy it.