Hussein bin Talal
Former King of Jordan

Al-Hussein bin Talal bin Abdullah the First Al-Hashemi (November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999), is the third King of Jordan. He ruled from August 11, 1952, until his death on February 7, 1999.

King Hussein was born in the Jordanian capital, Amman; To be the eldest son of Prince – at that time – Talal bin Abdullah and his wife Zain Al Sharaf bint Jamil. He started his studies in Amman at the Islamic Scientific College, while he completed his education abroad in the United Kingdom. After King Talal assumed the rule of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1951 AD, Hussein was named Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Jordan. After that, the Jordanian House of Representatives dismissed King Talal, a year after he assumed power; Due to his illness at the time, which prompted the Council to appoint a Regency Council until Hussein reached the constitutional age of rule; He ascended the throne when he was only seventeen years old, on May 2, 1953 AD. Hussein ruled Jordan with a constitutional monarchy for the longest period among his family members who were crowned kings of Jordan or Iraq since 1920 AD.

Al-Hussein bin Talal married four separate times, and from these four marriages he had eleven sons and daughters: Alia bint Al Hussein from his wife Dina bint Abdul Hamid, Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, Faisal bin Al Hussein, Aisha bint Al Hussein and Zain bint Al Hussein from his wife Princess Muna Al Hussein Princess Haya bint Al Hussein and Ali bin Al Hussein from his wife Alia Al Hussein, as well as Hamza bin Al Hussein, Hashem bin Al Hussein, Iman bint Al Hussein and Raya bint Al Hussein from his wife, from whom Noor Al Hussein died.

Al-Hussein assumed the rule of the kingdom to be a constitutional monarch, beginning his reign with what was termed a “liberal experiment”; In 1956, the formation of the first elected parliamentary government in Jordan’s history was permitted. A few months after that experience, Al-Hussein forced the government that was headed by Suleiman Al-Nabulsi to resign; Where he declared martial law and banned political parties. It is noteworthy that during the reign of King Hussein, Jordan had entered into three wars with the Israeli entity, the most prominent of which was the Six-Day War in 1967 AD, which ended with Jordan losing three provinces of it that made up what is known as the West Bank. In 1970 AD, the Jordanian government expelled the fighters of the Palestinian organizations after officials in the country felt their growing authority that threatened Jordan’s security and social peace in what was termed by Palestinians as “Black September” and Jordanians as “the period of unfortunate events.” In 1988, Hussein announced the decision to disengage the administrative and legal link With the West Bank, relinquishing the official and legal authority in it in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which the League of Arab States considered at the Rabat summit the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians, followed by international recognition of the organization as well; Something that many in Jordan consider unconstitutional and a waiver of Jordanian lands in the text of Jordan’s 1952 constitution. And in 1989 AD, the king lifted martial laws and laws, repeating the elections again, after the gift that Jordan witnessed, especially in the south, due to the rise in news prices in what was known popularly and in the media as the April gift. After the signing of the Oslo Agreement between the Palestinians and the Israeli entity, and in 1994 AD, Hussein became the second Arab leader, after Anwar Sadat, who signed the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement in 1978 AD, who signs a peace treaty with the Israeli entity, which was known as the Wadi Araba Treaty, although The popular rejection of it.

At the time Hussein was crowned king, Jordan was still a young, modern state ruling the West Bank. As a result of the 1948 war, Jordan was a haven for large numbers of Palestinian refugees fleeing the war. In addition, some consider Jordan a country with limited natural resources, while others reject this view and consider it a country rich in its diverse resources. It is worth noting at that stage and after that, that Al-Hussein successfully led his country through four decades of wars and crises in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Cold War, balancing the pressures that were imposed on Jordan by Arab nationalists, the Soviet Union, Western countries and the Israeli entity; As this led to the transformation of Jordan at the end of the 46 years of his reign into a stable modern state. After 1967, Al-Hussein exerted increasing efforts to solve the Palestinian issue. Al-Hussein acted as a mediator between the various conflicting parties in the Middle East; Which he showed as a peacemaker. Although King Hussein has been subjected to a large number of assassination attempts and a coup against him, he is considered to have the longest reign in the region. Al-Hussein died at the age of sixty-three of cancer on February 7, 1999 AD. His funeral is the largest in history in terms of the number of international leaders who have attended since 1995. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein, whose name became King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein.

its upbringing
Al-Hussein was born in Amman on November 14, 1935, and was the first child of Crown Prince Talal and Princess Zain Al Sharaf. He is the eldest brother among his brothers, three brothers and two sisters – Princess Asma, Prince Muhammad, Prince Hassan, Prince Mohsen and Princess Basma. During the cold winter in Amman, his baby sister, Princess Asmaa, died of pneumonia, an indication of how poor his family was at the time – they could not afford heating costs in their home. His brother Mohsen also died due to complications that continued from the moment of the home birth outside the hospital.

Al-Hussein bore the name of his grandfather, Al-Hussein bin Ali (the Sharif of Mecca), the leader of the Arab Revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire.
He declared that he is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad from his daughter Fatima and her husband, Ali the Fourth Caliph, and he belongs to the Hashemite family that ruled Makkah Al-Mukarramah for more than 700 years – until the time of its fall in 1925 at the hands of the House of Saud – which ruled Jordan since 1921.
The Hashemite Dynasty is the oldest ruling dynasty in the Islamic world, and the second oldest ruling dynasty in the world (after the imperial house in Japan).
The young prince moved during his primary studies, starting with the kindergarten, with six schools, the last of which was the Islamic College. His grandfather, King Abdullah, wanted him to join Harrow School, from which Winston Churchill graduated, after completing his primary education. However, it was decided to send him to Victoria College in Alexandria, Egypt. Which was administered according to the official British systems. After his grandfather’s assassination, he was transferred to Harrow School in England, fearing for his life due to suspicion of Egypt’s involvement in his grandfather’s assassination. He was then 16, above the average student age, and befriended his second cousin, Faisal II of Iraq, who was also studying there. Faisal was at the time king of Hashemite Iraq, but he was a regency king because he was younger than the age allowed by the constitution, the same age as Hussein.

Internal political achievements during the reign of King Hussein:
• During the reign of King Hussein bin Talal, Jordan made great achievements at the internal level. He dedicated his life to serving his country and nation. King Hussein expressed his internal policy approach in the speech he addressed to the Jordanian people upon assuming the throne of the Kingdom by saying:

((The throne that came to us to derive its strength after God from the people’s love and trust, and I will develop this love and this confidence by serving the nation and taking care of its interests, so I took upon myself to avoid rest for you, work and sacrifice in the torrent of honoring our homeland for which we live and for which we die)).

1- Promoting a democratic approach:

King Hussein bin Talal has sought since the beginning of his reign to strengthen the democratic approach and activate political freedoms, so political parties with all their intellectual trends appeared on the Jordanian arena, labor and professional unions were established, and the press became active in the country, which increased political awareness and consolidated national feeling and national belonging among Jordanians.

2- Arabization of the army leadership:

To complete the achievement of Jordanian national sovereignty, King Hussein bin Talal made his historic decision on March 1, 1956 AD to Arabize the leadership of the Jordanian Arab Army, to dispense with the services of John Club, the commander of the army and the English officers, and to terminate the Jordanian-British treaty in 1957 AD.

3- Constitutional Amendments:

• Several amendments were made to the constitution during the reign of King Hussein in line with the internal political developments, and despite the challenges that Jordan faced, represented by the conflict with Israel and the consequent disruption of constitutional institutions, Jordan was able to return to parliamentary life in 1984 AD and activate the political and partisan life through The path of elections in 1989, the National Charter in 1991, and the Law of Parties in 1992.

Foreign political achievements during the reign of King Hussein:

The era of King Hussein bin Talal was distinguished by Jordan’s political activity at the level of Arab and international relations, its contribution to Arab reconciliation and the unification of the Arab ranks. King Hussein bin Talal set out in his relationship with the Arab countries and the countries of the world from the following pillars:
Principles of the Great Arab Revolt.

2- Articles of the Jordanian constitution that affirm the Arab nationalist dimension.

3- The constants of Jordanian foreign policy based on mediation and moderation.

1- King Hussein bin Talal and the Arab Unity Projects:

King Hussein bin Talal sought to embody the idea of ​​Arab unity in practice by calling for the establishment of many projects of unity between Arab countries, among the most prominent of these projects are the following:

A) The Arab Hashemite Union in 1958 AD:

The political relations between Jordan and Iraq were characterized by harmony and harmony due to the similarity of the system of government in the two countries, which is the Hashemite monarchy, in addition to the geographical dialogue. Al-Hussein bin Talal relinquished the presidency of the Union, so that its president would be his cousin, King Faisal II of Iraq.

The Hashemite Arab Union came to achieve a number of goals, including:

1- Unifying the external political representation of the two countries with one strong policy that would have a prestige and an audible voice in international forums.

2- Creating a security shield by uniting the army in the two countries to be a helper for the Arab nation and contribute to defending its causes and rights.

3- Development of the two countries and their development through joint economic projects in an integrative manner that contribute to advancing the development process in both countries.

4- The Hashemite Arab Union did not last long because of the military coup that overthrew the monarchy in Iraq and the martyrdom of King Faisal II on July 14, 1958 AD.

B) The United Kingdom project in 1972

The project of the United Kingdom of Jordan and Palestine came as an embodiment of the thought of King Hussein bin Talal calling for the need to preserve the right of the Palestinian people to their land. Among the most prominent items of this project proposed by King Hussein bin Talal are the following:

1- The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the union is called the Kingdom of the United Arab Emirates.

2- The United Kingdom consists of the eastern and western banks.

3- Amman shall be the central capital of the United Arab Emirates.

4- The head of state is the king and holds the central executive authority with a central council of ministers. As for the central legislative authority, it is entrusted to the king and a council known as the National Assembly.

5- The judicial authority shall be entrusted to a Central Supreme Court, and each country has its own courts.

Although this union was not successful, its proposal is a practical step for Arab cooperation and union, and is a clear evidence of the unitary approach of King Hussein bin Talal.

C- The Arab Cooperation Council in 1989:

This project is different from the previous bilateral Arab unity projects, as this union included four Arab countries (Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and North Yemen) with the possibility of joining any other Arab country. Several unionist attempts, including the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981 and the Moroccan Federation in 1989.

This council ended due to the second Gulf War in 1990, resulting from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

2- Jordanian Foreign Relations:

The Palestinian cause formed the main axis of Jordan’s foreign policy, as King Hussein bin Talal was keen to support it in all international forums, to confirm the fateful cohesion between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples, and to strengthen Jordan’s political relations with the Arab countries. King Hussein bin Talal continued the Hashemite march in providing care and protection for Islamic holy sites And Christianity in Jerusalem by continuing its reconstruction and maintenance and standing against the plans of Judaizing it.

• Jordan contributed to achieving Arab balance and resolving Arab disputes, and this was evident in many matters, including: The holding of the Arab Summit Conference (the Summit of Accord and Agreement) in Amman in 1987 AD, and embracing the reconciliation between North and South Yemen and their union in one state in 1990 AD. And a contribution to resolving the Iraqi-Kuwaiti conflict in 1990 within the Arab House.

Jordan has succeeded in establishing wide and developed diplomatic relations with various countries of the world. King Hussein bin Talal has contributed to clarifying Arab positions on the international arena, especially the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Jordan participated in the International Peace Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in 1973, which resulted in the settlement of the conflict between Egypt and Syria on the one hand, and Israel on the other, and the Jordanian foreign policy succeeded in coordinating with Arab and foreign countries in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. The condemnation of Israel and the promise of Zionism is a form of racial discrimination.

• In 1991, Jordan participated in the International Peace Conference in Madrid after the Arab countries concerned with the Arab-Israeli conflict agreed to the American initiative to establish permanent peace in the Middle East, where the Palestinian side participated in the Jordanian delegation headed by the Jordanian Foreign Minister.

Illness, death and funeral
On February 7, 1999, he died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and he had suffered from it for several years, and he was visiting the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA periodically for treatment. Shortly before his death, he removed his brother, Prince Hassan bin Talal, from the throne and appointed his eldest son, Prince Abdullah, as crown prince. His funeral was held on February 8, after a last look in the royal hall of the ruling family, and the funeral was attended by a large number of leaders of Arab and Western countries and many former presidents, including President of the United States Bill Clinton and former presidents George HW Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, and reflected the presence of American presidents. The strong and distinguished relations that linked him to the United States since the era of Dwight Eisenhower, the United Kingdom also sent its Prime Minister Tony Blair and Crown Prince Charles, and French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended. The funeral gathered several personalities, including Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. Israeli President Ezer Weizmann, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon came, and the Israeli Prime Minister expressed his sorrow for the loss of a peace partner with whom he sat at the same table a long time ago. The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi also sent his son Al-Saadi Gaddafi to attend the funeral, and the Czech President Vaclav Havel and the Russian President Boris Yeltsin attended despite their being ill. Scheduled for health reasons, the funeral was also attended by Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said, Algerian President El Yaman Zeroual, Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Michel Murr, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Some have speculated that this huge international attendance of the funeral was for several reasons, the most important of which is his good and strong relations with most of the world’s leaders.

The Security Council praised his achievements and described him as a warrior for peace, and the Council’s president, the Canadian ambassador, said that the United Nations would not find a better defender of its charter than the one who found it in his person.