Prime Minister Sharon, Prime Minister Abbas, I urge you today to end the designs of those who seek destruction, annihilation and occupation, and I urge you to have the will and the courage to begin to realize our dreams of peace, prosperity and coexistence.

Abdallah II

Categorized in : Dream Design Occupation

I have the responsibility of over four million people, and I am in a position to do good, to be able to bring about a new life for my people, and I will continue to move in that direction. It's a burden, but it needs to be done, and you have to have the courage and wisdom to see it through.

Abdallah II

responsibility people moving

If you believe that the killing of innocent people is right, then you are not part of my future.

Abdallah II

killing believe people

Together, we can create a world in which peace is real; in which every human being can thrive; in which all share the promise of our century. I believe we can succeed.

Abdallah II

together-we-can real believe

It is always dangerous to underestimate anybody.

Abdallah II

underestimate dangerous

I've benefited from the best of both societies and both cultures, East and West.

Abdallah II

east west culture

Don't take 'no' for an answer.

Abdallah II

answers

Extremists, who thrive on conflict; who do not tolerate diversity; who seek power through division and destruction. The global system they hope to create is one of new walls and new isolation, and radically smaller horizons. It is an anti-democratic, anti-economic-growth, and anti-progress agenda.

Abdallah II

diversity wall growth

The monarchy that I hand over to my son is not going to be the same one that I have inherited.

Abdallah II

my-son hands son

There is resistance to change. There's a resistance to ideas.

Abdallah II

resistance-to-change resistance ideas

It's a tremendous responsibility to be direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad. This family has had the burden of leadership on its shoulders for 1,400 years. I'm not going to drop the ball on my shift.

Abdallah II

balls responsibility years

I believe strongly in the rights of women... my mother is a woman, my sister is a woman, my daughter is a woman, my wife is a woman.

Abdallah II

daughter mother believe

Fifty-seven countries in the world, a third of the United Nations, do not recognize Israel. In a way, I think North Korea has better international relations than Israel.

Abdallah II

israel country thinking

The security and the future of Jordan is hand-in-hand with the future of the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Abdallah II

jordan palestinian hands

You're always going to have extremists in every religion.

Abdallah II

extremist

You're always going to have terrorism.

Abdallah II

terrorism

We're never going to be able to get rid of terrorism, because there is always going to be evil in the world.

Abdallah II

able evil world

The monarchy that I hand over to my son is not going to be the same one that I have inherited. ... There is a tendency by a lot of officials to hide behind the king. And it's about time that officials take their responsibility and are responsible in front of the people. Because today, if you're appointed by the king, they don't feel that they're responsible for the people. If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work — because if they don't, they won't be around the next time the ballot box is open.

Abdallah II

hard-work responsibility kings

I think the success of democracy is not really police security; it's the presence of a broad middle class. The stronger the middle class of a people is, the less you have to worry about one group coming in and exploiting the democratic process for its own ends.

Abdallah II

class people thinking

Many will view the compromises that will be made during your negotiations as painful concessions. But why not view them as peace offerings, ones that will provide in return the priceless gifts of hope, security and freedom for our children and our children's?

Abdallah II

offering views children

When I talk to people in need, they tell me they want to hope; they are eager for opportunity; they are ready for better days. And I can tell you that every time their hopes are disappointed, all nations lose.

Abdallah II

opportunity people needs