• Address was the first time the king has made a public statement about allegations of a plot to destabilize Jordan
• Prince Hamzah has committed to follow the path of his parents and grandparents: King Abdullah II

Arab News

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Wednesday that his half-brother Prince Hamzah was “under my protection” with his family.

The prince signed a document on Monday pledging his support for King Abdullah after he was accused at the weekend of working with foreign parties and other Jordanians in a plot to destabilize the country.

“Hamzah is now with his family in his palace under my protection,” King Abdullah said in an address read out in his name on state television.

“He has committed before the (Hashemite) family to follow the path of his parents and grandparents, to be faithful to their message, and to place the interest of Jordan, its constitution and its laws above all other considerations.”

The address was the first time the king has made a public statement about the allegations of a plot to destabilize Jordan which emerged at the weekend, with the arrest  of up to 18 people.

“I speak to you today as my family and tribesmen … to reassure you that the sedition has been buried,” the statement said.

“The challenge of the last few days was not the hardest or the most dangerous to the stability of our nation, but it was the most painful because those who are party to the sedition were from our own home and from outside it,” the king said.

“Nothing can come close to the shock and the pain and anger I felt, as a brother, and head of the Hashemite family and as a leader to this dear people,” he added.

*With AFP