King of Jordan: Frustrations of Palestinian Youths May Lead to "black flags of terror"

King Abdullah of Jordan, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly General Debate on September 19, 2023, asserted that Palestinian youths were easy targets for "the black flags of terror, hate, and extremism," a reference to the black flags of the Islamic State. He claimed that "Five million Palestinians live under occupation—no civil rights; no freedom of mobility; no say in their lives" but failed to blame the authoritarian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, serving the 19th year of his 4 year presidential term of office.

In Abdullah's words: "Five million Palestinians live under occupation—no civil rights; no freedom of mobility; no say in their lives... We must protect young Palestinians from extremists who prey on their frustrations and hopelessness, by making sure they continue to learn at schools under the blue flag of the United Nations, as the alternative will be the black flags of terror, hate, and extremism."