Hussein I

views updated May 29 2018

Hussein I (1935–99) Hashemite king of Jordan (1953–99). He sought to maintain good relations with the West while supporting the Palestinians' cause in the Arab-Israeli Wars. In 1967, Hussein led Jordan into the Six-Day War, losing the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel. In 1970, he ordered his army to suppress the activities of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jordan. In 1974, he relinquished Jordan's claim to the West Bank to the PLO. In the 1990s, Hussein supported efforts to secure peace in the Middle East, signing a treaty with Israel in 1994, and attending the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. His son Abdullah (1962– ) succeeded him as King.

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