The Natives are getting restless tonight

King Abdullah of Jordan, the pint sized Hashemite monarch has finally and publicly decided to openly criticise the United States and Israel over the destruction of Lebanon and the mass slaughter of it's citizens.(Pic 'orens of Arabia)

Realising the perilous nature of his own position he has told Jordan's Arabic mass circulation Al-Rai and independent Al-Ghad dailies that he was enraged by the war, and that continued fighting only weakened the voice of Middle East moderates such as himself.... and also he might end up shot by an enraged Palestinian like his namesake and great grandfather.... another Hashemite capable of playing both ends against the middle.

He stressed the only way to achieve peace was to end the Israeli occupation of Arab lands.... and this time maybe he really means it.

Israeli actions are fuelling the resistance, the King says, and that even if Israel destroyed Hezbollah, other groups would emerge in the Arab world to take its place, unless Israel ended its occupation of Palestinian lands and made peace with other Arab neighbours.

He blames Israel's harsh military campaign in Lebanon for undermining the voice of moderation in the Arab world, (by which he means the puppet regimes of Jordan and Egypt whose prisons and torture chambers, are full of people who oppose their "moderation") saying the Arab people now saw Hezbollah as heroic.

Although the king initially voiced criticism over Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers last month, he refused to comment as to whether he still blamed the Iranian-backed group for dragging Lebanon into the conflict.

King Abdullah added Jordan would not participate in a proposed stabilisation force to be deployed in southern Lebanon as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The King has also appeared on State TV last Thursday saying, "if the option of peace fails as a result of Israeli arrogance, then the only option remaining will be war, and God alone knows what the region would witness in a conflict that would spare no one."

Jordan along with the Gulf States and Saudi have deposited US$Bn.s to help shore up the Lebanese banks, and provided massive relief funds.Abdullah has sent US$1Bn as a deposits to Lebabnon , US$500MN to Lebanon and US$250.000 to the Palestinians in Gaza.

Keep an eye on the VIP departure lounges at Tel Aviv and Amman if you want to see how this war is being played out.