Abdullah II of Jordan Quotes

"It is always dangerous to underestimate anybody."

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

"Remember you don't do anything in isolation."

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

"I like to look at the glass half full."

"Together, we can create a world in which peace is real; in which every human being can thrive; in which all share the promise of our century. I believe we can succeed."

"I look at Jerusalem as being a beacon for the three monotheistic religions."

"You're always going to have terrorism."

"Peace with Israel is a strategic imperative for Jordan."

"There is resistance to change. There's a resistance to ideas."

"The Arab World is writing a new future; the pen is in our own hands."

"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 shift."

"Earth's dispossessed are vulnerable targets for extremists: those who teach that global justice is meaningless; that satisfaction can come only in violence, division, and intellectual isolation."

"The monarchy that I hand over to my son is not going to be the same one that I have inherited."

"Many occasions I've sat down with Israelis to say, where do you see your country in 10 years time, and work me back, so we can figure out the synergies and the connections between Israel and the rest of the Arab world. No Israeli has ever been able to answer that question."

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

"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 this the challenge that a lot of Jordanians have to deal with."

"Prime Minister Sharon, Prime Minister Abbas, I urge you today to end the designs of those who seek destruction, annihilation and occupation, and I urge you to have the will and the courage to begin to realize our dreams of peace, prosperity and coexistence."

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

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

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

"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."

"Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result, through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound."

"No matter what's happening in the Middle East - the Arab Spring, et cetera, the economic challenges, high rates of unemployment - the emotional, critical issue is always the Israeli-Palestinian one."

"Historic changes and challenges. Breakthroughs in human knowledge and opportunity. And yet, for vast numbers across the globe, the daily realities have not altered."

"In our view, successful reform is not an event. It is a sustainable process that will build on its own successes - a virtuous cycle of change."

"When I talk to people in need, they tell me they want to hope; they are eager for opportunity; they are ready for better days. And I can tell you that every time their hopes are disappointed, all nations lose."

"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 so many people so badly?"

"Mr. President, prime ministers, let us have ambitions: ambitions to move beyond the violence and occupation, to the day when two states, Palestine and Israel, can live together side by side in peace and security."

"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 and freedom for our children and our children's?"