AMMAN, Jordan--With more than 1 million Syrian refugees on its soil and facing economic problems of its own, Jordan is trying to engineer a sea change in the confrontational approach toward Damascus by Arab and Western nations.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi gave his views on this and other issues in an interview here with The Asahi Shimbun.

“The truth is we have not really seen a comprehensive strategy to deal with the Syrian crisis for years and the status quo politics cannot continue because the cost is too high, first on the Syrian people. There has to be a political solution to the crisis.”

Civil war flared in Syria in 2011 after the regime of President Bashar Assad clamped down militarily against insurgents.

While Jordan and other Middle Eastern nations initially provided support to the anti-Assad factions, there has been a gradual switch in course in recent years.

In 2018, the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus.
Then last October, Jordanian King Abdullah II held a phone conference with Assad, the first such contact in 10 years.

The tentative rapprochement is due to the superior position maintained by the Assad regime against its domestic foes and concerns in Amman about terrorism and a breakdown in law and order due to the approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees in Jordan.

While many Middle Eastern nations had called for Assad to step down, Safadi said the Syrian crisis had simply gone on too long and called for a new strategy of engagement.

Syria’s membership in the Arab League has been suspended since 2011, but there is speculation it could be allowed back into the 22-member grouping.

“The decision to freeze Syria’s membership in the Arab League was the Arab League’s decision, and therefore the decision to bring it back will have to be an Arab League decision,” Safadi said. “What we say in Jordan is that we all need to work together to bring an end to this crisis.”

U.S. policy toward Syria is to impose economic sanctions against the Assad regime.

Earlier this month, Safadi visited Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We are in agreement that there is only a political solution to that crisis,” Safadi said in regard to the issue of dialogue with the United States over the Syrian civil war. “The conversation is ongoing.”

Hosting huge numbers of Syrian refugees has placed a massive burden on Jordan, where the unemployment rate hovers above 20 percent.

Safadi said Amman would continue to provide assistance to Syrian refugees, including education and health care.

“(But) what we always say is that refugees should not be the responsibility of host countries alone, this is a global responsibility,” he said.

Safadi also expressed strong concern about diminishing interest and support for the Syrian refugees within the international community.

PALESTINE ALSO A PRESSING ISSUE

Safadi also said Jordan would continue to negotiate with both Israel and Palestine so direct peace talks between the two sides can resume soon.

“Jordan will continue to do everything it can to bring about the political horizon for finding peace, including having very frank and open conversation with the Israeli government,” he said.

While Jordan does have diplomatic relations with Israel, more than 2 million Palestinian refugees live in Jordan, according to the United Nations. Jordan has long taken the position supporting a two-state solution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Safadi was harsh in his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stepped down in June 2021.

“He did everything he could to sabotage any chances for peace,” Safadi said. “I think the legacy of the Netanyahu years has been destructive for everything.”

While the current prime minister, Naftali Bennett, has entered into dialogue with Jordan and Palestine, he has also expressed opposition to a two-state solution, casting doubt on when peace talks can resume.

“It is a very, very difficult situation,” Safadi said. “We have to bring the parties back to the negotiation table to create a credible political horizon.”

He also criticized continuing efforts by Israel to establish settlements in Palestine and said, “We condemn unilateral measures that undermine the basis upon which the whole peace process was predicated.”

When asked about the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and some Arab countries in 2020 through the mediation of then U.S. President Donald Trump, Safadi said, “If they are seen as an incentive to move forward to bring about a solution to the Palestinian Israeli issue, then they will have a positive impact.”

Still, he said, “You cannot jump over the Palestinian issue, you cannot act as if it does not exist, because it does exist.”

Safadi also said regional cooperation was needed to deal with such pressing matters as “climate change, energy, water scarcity” that can only be dealt with after a peaceful environment was established.

He expressed appreciation for the support provided to Jordan by Japan, but added, “We look forward to more engagement both at the bilateral level and also improving the regional environment to help us solve the crisis.”