What did King Abdullah II of Jordan say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?
Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the General Assembly that the world’s attention moves on but its principles must not. He said at least 300 Palestinian children were killed in the first 300 days of the so-called ceasefire in Gaza, and that with Israel, UN resolutions “end where they begin: on paper.”
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He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the third speaker of the morning session.
The speech in brief
- Attention spans. He opened with a statistic: average screen attention has fallen from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds today. Principles, he said, cannot follow that curve.
- Gaza. He called the killing of children during the ceasefire an attempt to erase Palestinian life and impose a new reality on the ground.
- The West Bank. Settler violence, home demolitions and forced displacement amount to annexation in all but name.
- Jerusalem. He restated Jordan’s custodianship of the Muslim and Christian holy sites.
- Tools left unused. The world has sanctions, asset freezes, embargoes and isolation available, he said, but does not use them on Israel.
- Syria and the region. He warned about Israeli incursions into Syria, and conflict in Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, and said the Iran war showed how fast instability spreads.
In his own words
Our principles cannot change with the world’s attention. The future is shaped not only by what we do, but by what we choose to ignore.
“Every generation believes the challenges they face are unmatched. Perhaps for us that is true.”
“In the first 300 days of the so-called ceasefire, at least 300 Palestinian children were killed.”
“Demolishing Palestinian homes to expand illegal settlements is not ‘law enforcement.’ It is forcible transfer.”
“Yet with Israel, resolutions end where they begin: on paper.”
“And today, Syria is the warning the international community is choosing not to see.”
“Military force cannot deliver meaningful solutions.”
Worth knowing
- He reminded the hall that the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 offered Israel normal relations with 57 Arab and Muslim states in exchange for peace and a Palestinian state. “For over twenty years, that offer has stood.”
Watch and read the full speech
Video of the address:
Watch King Abdullah II’s address, from the Royal Hashemite Court
The UN’s video of the whole day:
UN Web TVWatch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on UN Web TVRead the full text on the Royal Hashemite Court website.
The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.
Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.
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