JERUSALEM (AP) – Prince Hamzah of Jordan made his first public appearance on Sunday since being placed under house arrest last week, reciting Quranic verses along with King Abdullah II at the tombs of their ancestors. The gesture seemed like an attempt to show unity on an important Jordanian holiday.
Abdullah has been trying to indicate in recent days that the situation is under control. But Sunday’s staged event left it unclear whether the king and his popular half-brother really put their differences aside. The conflict had escalated into the most serious public divide in the ruling family in decades, though Hamzah has denied any wrongdoing.
Hamzah joined members of the Jordanian royal family, marking the centenary of the establishment of the emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate that preceded the kingdom. The royal palace has released a photo and video of Abdullah and Hamzah joining other dignitaries at the tomb of their father, the late King Hussein, and the late King Talal, their grandfather.
A photo and video of the family reciting the opening chapter of the Qur’an together seemed to convey a message of unity at a sensitive time for the kingdom. The chapter, known as the Fatiha, is traditionally recited at people’s graves.
It was the first time Hamzah had been seen in public since he was placed under some form of house arrest on April 3 after allegations that he was involved in a “malicious plot” to destabilize the kingdom.
In statements leaked to the media, Hamzah denied the allegations and accused the country’s government of corruption and incompetence. Hamzah has said his actions are out of love for the country. But his previous criticisms of government policy, and more recently, his assistance to powerful tribal leaders who criticize the government are seen as a threat to the king.
Abdullah went on to say that authorities thwarted an attempted sedition involving his half-brother and some 18 suspects, saying he was angry and in shock. Abdullah also suggested that there was continued control over Hamzah’s movements, saying that the prince was “with his family in his palace, under my care”.
Authorities have imposed a sweeping gag order on any coverage of the royal dispute, as a sign of how sensitive they are to how it is perceived. The king’s gag order and willingness to punish his own brother also confirmed what Jordanians understand as their “red line” – an absolute prohibition against criticizing the monarch or royal family.
Hamzah’s action on Sunday indicated he was safe, but it remained unclear whether he had come voluntarily or had been released from the restrictions on his movement. Hamzah, dressed in a suit, traditional headdress, and blue surgical mask, joined his relatives in prayers but did not comment publicly.
There is also no sign that authorities have released up to 18 other detainees, including members of any of the powerful tribes the monarchy has relied on in the past.
Even before the palace drama, Jordan struggled with an economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with one in four people out of work. Long-standing complaints about corruption and mismanagement have sparked fragmented protests in recent months.
At the same time, the region’s strategic landscape is changing as powerful Gulf states pursue closer ties with Israel, potentially undermining Jordan’s role in the Middle East peace process.
The United States and regional allies have all rallied behind the king. Jordan has long been seen as a relatively stable Western ally in the Middle East in a turbulent region. But the last year of the coronavirus has turned the country’s largely tourism-dependent economy upside down.
Abdullah and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for nearly half a century before his death in 1999 and is still a much-loved figure. Abdullah had made Hamzah crown prince after his succession, but stripped him of the title in 2004 and instead gave the title to his eldest son.
Jordan has a large Palestinian population, including more than 2 million refugees from previous wars with Israel and their descendants. The monarchy has granted most of them full citizenship, but historically has viewed them with suspicion. The main support base is powerful tribes from the east of the Jordan River, who dominate the security forces.
For decades, the monarchy has maintained close ties with the US and other Western countries, which it has used to advocate for the creation of a Palestinian state, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel conquered Jordan in the 1967 war.
That strategy has hit a wall in recent years now that the peace process has come to a standstill. Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations have soured from a series of recent diplomatic spats.
At the same time, the Gulf states are cultivating closer ties with Israel because of their shared antipathy towards Iran, the relations that were made public last year when the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel in a US-brokered deal. Saudi Arabia at times seemed to be considering a similar move.