Jordan Hosts Peace Talks Between Israel and Palestine

On February 26, representatives from the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government met in Jordan for previously agreed-upon peace talks, reports Reuters. The talks, while initially perceived as successful, were abruptly halted due to increased violence in the West Bank.

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Prince Hamzah of Jordan Renounces Royal Titles

According to the Associated Press, Jordan’s Prince Hamzah announced his decision to abdicate his right to the throne in a statement published on his personal Twitter page. BBC News recounts Hamzah’s reasoning behind this monumental decision, stating that his “personal convictions” were not in line with the “modern methods of our institutions.” This announcement comes after Hamzah publicly apologized to his brother, King Abdullah II, in March 2022, for his previous comments criticizing his rule.

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Jordan Arrests Top Officials, Alleges Coup Plot Against King Abdullah II

Claims of sedition have caused a rift in the Jordanian royal family this past week, as multiple high-ranking officials were arrested in a rare semblance of instability within the levant kingdom. However, according to Al Jazeera, on April 7, Jordanian King Abdullah II addressed the situation, stating the ‘sedition’ which caused him ‘pain and anger’ has been dealt with.

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Imagining Pan-Arabism Through the Lens of ‘Arab Idol’

Watching my Jordanian host family cheer on the win of a Christian Palestinian and empathize with the tears of a Yemeni, and seeing the televised audience of different identities and origins dancing together in Lebanon made me think that perhaps Pan-Arabism is real — even if it exists, for now, in the realm of “Arab Idol.”

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