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''Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril'' (
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: فرصتنا الأخيرة: السعي نحو السلام في وقت الخطر ) is a book written by
King Abdullah II Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
of
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and published by
Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The book is available in eight languages, highlights King Abdullah's vision towards resolving the
Arab–Israeli conflict The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the ...
, as well as the challenges facing the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.


Book contents

In “Our Last Best Chance”, King Abdullah writes as both a monarch bestowing wisdom from above and as a man whose life has been intertwined with war and making the case for
peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
. The memoir opens during the 1967 war, when the King, then a toddler, is dared by his brother to race across the lawn in the middle of an
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i air raid. An explosion reverberates in the distance and the then-crown prince runs back into the house without having reached the other side. The incident serves as a potent symbol: Unsolved, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict looms over the region, threatening to disrupt daily life at a moment's notice. The King goes on to detail his formative years, from staring down anti-Arab stereotypes at a US boarding school to his military career in
Zarqa Zarqa ( ar, الزرقاء) is the capital of Zarqa Governorate in Jordan. Its name means "the blue (city)". It had a population of 635,160 inhabitants in 2015, and is the most populous city in Jordan after Amman. Geography Zarqa is located in t ...
and proposing to Rania Yassin on Tal Rumman. In the first two parts of the memoir, covering the King's childhood up to his ascension to the
Throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monar ...
,
King Hussein Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family o ...
looms large, offering his son lessons in honour and
diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
while steering Jordan through uncertain waters. When King Hussein falls ill, and the line of succession unexpectedly falls to the author, King Abdullah provides an intimate account of how he faced the sudden responsibility of becoming King while coming to terms with his father's death. Upon ascending to the Throne, overhauling the country's economy was a top priority, the King writes, listing Jordan's membership in the
World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
and the US Free Trade Agreement among his top achievements in his first years. King Abdullah goes on to highlight Jordanian success stories, including Maktoob.com, Rubicon, the King's Academy, the King Abdullah Design Bureau, the domestic film industry and the peaceful
nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...
program, taking clear pride in each as a success for the country, each innovation as a step forward in the Kingdom's development process. But, as the King notes, governance is not as orderly as the
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. Directives go unheeded, deadlines are missed and rather than bullets or mortars, progress is threatened by excuses and delays. Despite the initial progress on the economic front, King Abdullah candidly admits that political development in the Kingdom over the past decade has at times been “two steps forward, one step back”. “Some have resisted change out of fear of losing privileges they have long enjoyed, while others simply lacked imagination,” King Abdullah writes. “Some officials did not have the courage to push forward with difficult changes.” The Monarch goes on to note a “dysfunctional” relationship between
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...
and
legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...
authorities, “hindering efforts to address broader social and economic issues”. He notes that such tensions and the public's loss of faith in the 15th Parliament in 2009 led to its dissolution. While delving into affairs at home, the memoir also sheds light on life as the head of state in a dangerous neighbourhood. The country is tested by the fallout of the US invasion of Iraq, followed by the Lebanon-Israeli conflict and the war on Gaza. The King notes that in each conflict, Jordan played a role larger than its size, sending
medical aid Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among m ...
and
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
s, organizing aid convoys, repairing airports and hosting thousands of
refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.
s. “Our Last Best Chance” goes on to highlight Jordan's role in combating
takfiri ''Takfiri'' ( ar, تَكْفِيرِيّ, ' lit. "excommunicational") is an Arabic and Islamic term denoting a Muslim who excommunicates one of his/her coreligionists, i.e. who accuses another Muslim of being an apostate. Since according to t ...
ideology and clarifying the true nature of
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
through the
Amman Message The Amman Message ( ar, رسالة عمان) is a statement calling for tolerance and unity in the Muslim world that was issued on 9 November 2004 (27th of Ramadan 1425 AH) by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan.peace process A peace process is the set of sociopolitical negotiations, agreements and actions that aim to solve a specific armed conflict. Definitions Prior to an armed conflict occurring, peace processes can include the prevention of an intra-state or in ...
: warning that the negotiations launched by the Obama administration in late 2009 may be the last call for a region that has been disappointed time and time again by diplomatic failures, Israeli intransigence and violent provocations. The King details the hurdles facing the launch of negotiations, including pressure from
Arab states The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
to revoke the
Arab Peace Initiative The Arab Peace Initiative ( ar, مبادرة السلام العربية; ), also known as the Saudi Initiative (; ), is a 10 sentence proposal for an end to the Arab–Israeli conflict that was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 at the Beiru ...
over the Gaza war and the unsure partner in peace in Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
. The King warns that at the time of printing, hopes for a breakthrough were fading and negotiations were “on the verge of collapse”. Indeed, talks have since derailed, and the forecasts for a return to the negotiating table have been less than promising. Reflecting on King Hussein's four decades and his own 11-year pursuit of peace, the Monarch voices hope that Crown Prince Hussein will not have to face the lingering effects of a conflict whose resolution has eluded generations. In order to end the impasse, the Monarch touts the “57-state solution”, or the Arab Peace Initiative, whereby Arab and Muslim states agree to normalize relations with Israel in return for occupied lands and a Palestinian state on 1967 borders. The King remains blunt about the current situation: “I fear that we are slipping into the darkness.” Despite the talk of benchmarks and roadmaps, the King argues that leaders and politicians must bear the responsibility of making the “much eroded dream” of peace come true. In the book, the King uses plain language to explain the complex past, present and future of the region, choosing the steady tone of a commander rather than the prose of a politician. While largely steering away from the sentimental, the Monarch does offer some intimate accounts of larger-than-life figures;
dynamite fishing Blast fishing, fish bombing, dynamite fishing or grenade fishing is a destructive fishing practice using explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This often illegal practice is extremely destructive to the surrounding eco ...
with Uday and
Qusay Qusay (also transliterated as Qusai, ar, قصي, ) is a masculine given name. It may refer to: People * Qusai Abu Alieh, Jordanian footballer * Qusai Abtini, Syrian child actor * Ahmed Kousay Altaie, Iraqi American United States Army soldier, capt ...
Hussein, disagreements with former US President
George Bush George Bush most commonly refers to: * George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States and father of the 43rd president * George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States and son of the 41st president Georg ...
and Yasser Arafat's escape from Jordan in the guise of a woman. The King also delves into his relationship with family members, telling of parachuting with Princess Aisha and the tensions raised by the question of the line of succession. Despite the insightful asides, the memoir's lasting impressions are lessons from a man and a country who although have been blessed to live in peace and security are touched by the conflicts of its neighbours. More than a personal history, the King's first book serves as a message for Washington policy makers, Israeli politicians and Arab leaders to sit up, take notice and not miss “our last, best chance”.


Reviews

''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' published a supportive but also mixed review by Michael D. Bell, a scholar in international diplomacy at the
University of Windsor , mottoeng = Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge , established = , academic_affiliations = CARL, COU, Universities Canada , former_names = Assumption College (1857-1956)Assumption University of Windsor (1956-1963) , type = Public universit ...
. Bell stated that he found "value and veracity in much of" the book, and he commented as well that the King "may prove as successful as his father, if not more so." Bell criticized the book for the lack of detail about the King's important relationship with his mother,
Princess Muna Princess Muna Al-Hussein ( ar, منى الحسين, born Toni Avril Gardiner; 25 April 1941) is the mother of Abdullah II of Jordan. She was the second wife of King Hussein; the couple divorced on 21 December 1972. She is British by birth, and ...
, and his
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
grandfather, Tony Gardner, as well as for displaying a "paternalism... by personalizing good governance in a single all-powerful individual." ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'' published a positive review by journalist Justin Marozzi. Marozzi referred to it as an "engrossing book" that "avowedly mixes the personal with the political." Marozzi highlighted in particular the King's depiction of him and his four brothers as the five fingers on a hand- with the King saying "If you are well-meaning, we extend the hand of friendship; but when outsiders try to harm the family, we band together and become a fist."


Further reading

* al-Hussein, Abdullah II bin. ''Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril'', New York City: Viking Adult, 2011.


References

{{Reflist Official page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OurLastBestChance


External links

* https://www.amazon.com/Our-Last-Best-Chance-Pursuit/dp/0670021717 Books about the Arab–Israeli conflict Political books Books by Jordanian writers 2011 non-fiction books Viking Press books