Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein in 2009. Photo: ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images
An Israeli businessman with ties to the U.S. government was in touch with former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein when he was put on house arrest on Saturday, and proposed to send a private jet to take his wife and kids to Europe.
The intrigue: The Jordanian government claims the Israeli has connections to the Mossad spy agency, while the businessman stresses he s only a friend of the prince.
Why it matters: The Jordanian government is pushing the narrative that Prince Hamzah and his associates conspired against King Abdullah with people outside of Jordan.
Published date: 6 April 2021 11:29 UTC | Last update: 2 sec ago
The king had achieved statements of international and regional support even by those he knew were trying to weaken him, but he no longer trusts those closest to him
Portraits of late King Hussein (M), Prince Hamzah (L) and King Abdullah of Jordan (R) (Illustration by Hossam Sarhan)
The real message that Prince Hamzah, who claims he is wrongly accused of stoking discontent in the kingdom, wanted the world and his country to hear after he had been confined to house arrest was this one: I am the son of Hussein!
In appearance, bearing and speech, the prince resembles his late father, King Hussein, whose life was cut short by illness.