And as an American colleague said to me several months ago, he said, ‘I think the challenge in Jordan – and, again, this is for the rest of the Middle East – we need to...

Today more than ever we need creative minds to address the issues of the age. And one of the most urgent is this: How can humanity know so much, achieve so much, and still fail...

We have to always hope in humanity that people will make the right choices.

Remember you don’t do anything in isolation.

Jerusalem is a time bomb that I fear is just waiting to go off.

The more I support with my economic plans the building of a middle class, the quicker they’re going to turn around and say, ‘Hey, we want a bigger say in things.’ So, I knew what...

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...

When we try to push the envelope, there are certain sectors of society that say this is a Zionist plot to sort of destabilize our country, or this is an American agenda.

We want to be, I think, an example for the rest of the Arab world, because there are a lot of people who say that the only democracy you can have in the Middle East...

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

If you look at military and intelligence positions from the 1950s, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been against American national interests.

Each country its cost analysis is going to be different. So what we are you seeing in Syria, for example, is different than what’s going on in Jordan. The maps are being rewritten.

The Middle East has the highest unemployment percentage of any region in the world we have the largest youth cohort of history coming into the market place that frustration does translate into the political sphere...

When you get billions in aid and your weapons resupplied and your ammunition stock resupplied, you don’t learn the lesson that war is bad and nobody wins.

Chemical weapons are something that scares everybody.

For me, I am left leaning when it comes to health and education, on the right when it comes to defense. So I don’t know where I come on the political spectrum. And I think...

Nobody scares me.

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.

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

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

It is always dangerous to underestimate anybody.

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

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...

What keeps me up at night is poverty and unemployment.

I think it’s almost impossible for any expert to predict for the rapid changes we see in the Middle East. They are rapid and they will continue for quite a while.

You’re always going to have terrorism.

I’m not the type of person that is forced.

Whenever you have a crisis, you’re always going to have the extremists taking advantage of the situation.

If everybody is happy, then something is wrong with the democratic process.

Ten years ago I said, you know, my goal is to be able to get food on the table. What I’m trying to say by that is trying to create a vibrant, capable and effective...

Blowing up buses will not induce the Israelis to move forward, and neither will the killing of Palestinians or the demolition of their homes and their future. All this needs to stop. And we pledge...

I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat and tears. In certain countries it may be just sweat, and...

I hope that none of the countries in the Middle East are planning anything but the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy.

Peace with Israel is a strategic imperative for Jordan.

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...

My view is when you use violence on your people, that never ends well.

We have peace with Israel. We’re actually the last man standing. So there is going to be immense pressure and people asking, ‘Why are we having this relationship when it’s not benefiting anybody?’ Obviously, my...

I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right...

Is Israel going to continue to be ‘Fortress Israel’? Or, as we all hope, become accepted into the neighborhood, which I believe is the only way we can move forward in harmony.

I think the debate in our society now is that people have to agree on zero-tolerance to terrorism.

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.

Political development should start at the grassroots.

The Arab Spring I think we will look back whether it’s two years, five years, ten or fifteen. And say it’s a good thing.

When there’s a status quo, usually what shakes everybody up is some sort of military confrontation, at which point we all come running and screaming to pick up the pieces.

Jordan has to show the Arab world that there’s another way of doing things. We’re a monarchy, yes, but if we can show democracy that leads to a two-, three-, four-party system – left, right...

Our response has been, ‘Well, let’s then make an effort to get the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit around the table.’ That hasn’t happened. So we only have ourselves to blame for this crisis.

I’m easily entertained.

At the end of the day we want to bring stability and hope to Iraq. That’s the only way to defeat terrorism.

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...

The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the make-or-break future of the country.