(Photo credit: Ali Jarekji/File Photo/Reuters)
The half-brother of King Abdullah of Jordan announced the relinquishment of his royal title on 3 April.
Prince Hamzah bin Hussein made the announcement on Twitter.
— Hamzah bin AlHussein (@HamzahHKJ) April 3, 2022
The statement explains that the decision was based on “current approaches, policies and methods of our institutions” that could not be reconciled with the convictions of Prince Hamzah.
But while the statement refrained from criticizing the King or other ruling elites, the move was seen as a continuation of the strained relations between Hamzah and his half-brother.
Hamzah has feuded with the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan in the past.
On 3 April 2021, Hamzah was placed under house arrest in a massive internal crackdown on Jordanian royalty and officials who were believed to be behind an alleged attempt to oust King Abdullah and destabilize the country.
Hamzah was the former crown prince and was stripped of his title in 2004. The title was then given to the son of King Abdullah in 2009.
In recent years, Hamzah began to position himself as an “anti-corruption” figure with popularity among the Jordanian public and tribal leaders.
He protested his house arrest by releasing a voice recording on Twitter stating he did not want to escalate the situation, but that he also did not want to adhere to the gag orders preventing him from telling his side of the story to the press or social media.
The feud was eventually brought to a close through mediation, with Hamzah declaring his loyalty to King Abdullah.
Israeli journalist Smadar Perry alleged that he received information from high-ranking Jordanian sources that Saudi Arabia was behind the plot. Former Jordanian prime minister Jawad Anani accused Israel of being behind the plot.
Jordan and Israel normalized diplomatic relations in 1994, becoming the second Arab country after Egypt to do so. The move was widely criticized as a betrayal of the Palestinian people.
Recently, King Abdullah hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog where the two vocally condemned the latest wave of Palestinian uprisings against Israeli forces and settlers.