King Abdullah of Jordan visited the Al Karamah Battle memorial site on Sunday on the 53rd anniversary of the battle. The King was joined by his son, Crown Prince Hussein for the visit to honour the martyrs of Al Karamah Battle.
The King and Crown Prince were received by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hneiti upon arrival, and King Abdullah later laid a wreath at the Unknown Soldier Monument in memory of those who died. The King – who is also the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) – also read verses from the Quran.
The l Karamah Battle took place on 21 March 1968 between Israel and Jordan and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) during the War of Attrition that followed Israeli victory in the Six-Day War in 1967. King Abdullah’s father, King Hussein, fought in the battle that the Arab Army won. The Royal Hashemite Court called the battle victory “a milestone in the history of the JAF.”
Following the War of Attrition, both sides claimed victory, but Israel retained control of Sinai and the creation of the Bar Lev Line. In Jordan, the Jordanian Civil War sprung from the War of Attrition with the JAF being led by King Hussein against Yasser Arafat and the PLO.
