The active rule of a king does not greatly differ from that of a dictator in the sense that his demise has such a profound impact, not only on the fortunes of his own people, but also on the relationships between his nation and other countries. Whether his rule was that of an enlightened political leader or simply that of a dictator can be determined by his legacy. Viewed in this way, the late King Hussein of Jordan comes into focus as an extremely able leader who took the measure of the difficulties he faced and knew how to deal with them.
A small, soft-spoken man of modest demeanor, he was thrust by a series of historical twists and turns into a life of fame, danger, successive assassination attempts and revenge in 1952, when he was only 17. By surviving as the tenacious monarch of Jordan during more than four decades of turbulent Middle East history, he became a pivotal figure in the search for peace in a region that has defied repeated international attempts at peacemaking.
On the one hand, the late king was a lifelong champion of the Arab cause, sending his troops into two wars with Israel against impossible odds. At the same time, however, he was a flexible believer in Realpolitik, becoming in his last years the Israelis' most trusted ally in the Arab world and an indispensable mediator in the quest for a feasible peace between Jews and Arabs.