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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Martin Raffel (#212/684-6950, x.206)
JCPA MOURNS THE DEATH OF JORDANIAN LEADER AND (New York, February 7, 1999) -- Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) Chair Steven Schwarz joins with peace-loving people all over the world in expressing sadness over the death of Jordan's King Hussein. "King Hussein," Schwarz asserted, "was a powerful force for moderation, stability and reconciliation in the Middle East." He noted that, "images of Hussein's humanity and courage will be etched forever in our individual and collective memories." Schwarz also expressed the JCPA's hope and expectation, "that King Abdullah of Jordan will follow in his father's footsteps." Following is the full text of Mr. Schwarz's statement: "The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) joins with peace-loving people all over the world in mourning the death of the great Jordanian leader and statesman King Hussein. We send our heartfelt condolences to Queen Noor and the entire royal family on the loss of their loved one. "King Hussein was a powerful force for moderation, stability and reconciliation in the Middle East. The crowning moment of his life's work came in 1994 when, in the presence of President Clinton and other heads of state, he and the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a peace treaty in the Arava desert. The King made it clear on that occasion that his objective was not simply an agreement between leaders but rather it was to establish a "warm peace" that would permeate all levels of Israeli and Jordanian societies. Both through words and deeds King Hussein always sought to transform that objective into reality. "Other images of his humanity and courage will be etched forever in our individual and collective memories. These include a weakened King Hussein whose dedication to peace gave him the strength to arise from his sickbed in Minnesota to join with the Israeli, Palestinian and American officials negotiating at the Wye River Plantation. Reports indicate that his presence and counsel were pivotal components of the summit's ultimate success. We also will recall the picture of an empathetic King Hussein sitting with Israeli families who lost children in a terrorist atrocity committed by a deranged Jordanian soldier. Of course, we will never forget the wrenching eulogy delivered by King Hussein in Jerusalem for his friend and peace partner Yitzhak Rabin. "The JCPA hopes and trusts that King Abdullah of Jordan will follow in his father's footsteps. We continue to stand ready to work with him in realizing the vision of King Hussein - peace and security for all the nations of the Middle East." ### The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is the public affairs body of the organized Jewish community and serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 122 community agencies which comprise the field of Jewish community relations. |
