King Abdullah & Queen Rania Current Events 31: Feb. 26, 2009 - Oct. 18, 2009

[yamamah]

I don't think you can compare shipping an animal to a foreign country for medical treatment to treating human beings desperately wounded in a war. I can't say very much as this will turn political but let's just say that with the queen's background, the population make up of jordan and how many people suffered as a result of what was happening, yes it IS a big deal. People are dying on a regular basis at checkpoints through not being allowed to go to hospital for treatment and yet a dog gets flown in and special treatment! Why do you think the royal court keeps it quiet?

It is outrageous when children were dying and wounded and there was no medicine for them. I am sorry if I offend anybody by what I am saying but this story truly offends me

It is my personal opinion only and does not reflect TRF's position.

[kimebear]

It seems as if the JRF have had a good relationship with the veterinary hospital in question spanning several years. It is not at all unusual for a pet owner to take them to the vet that they trust, regardless of where that is.

Also, it is not unusual for people to love their pets as much as they love their children. Ask anyone who has ever spent thousands of dollars on surgery for their cat or schedules their day around their diabetic dog's insulin shots.

[yamamah]

I agree people love their pets but the moral implications of this are not lost on those from Arab countries, nor the irony lost on people from other places. Flying a pet dog for treatment into Israel whilst Israel is dropping bombs on Palestinian children and there are no drugs or dressings for their wounds! Shocking! It makes a mockery of Rania's appeals during the war on Gaza. Really shocking and the fact that the palace keeps quiet about it speaks volumes.

[Zonk]

I guess I need to know how legit this new source is before we all start assuming that this true.

[yamamah]

I guess then that the royals should put out a statement about it. It is being reported in other places

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Ne...sh.aspx/162861
http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=39100

[Zonk]

I disagree with that. If that's the case, the Royal Court would spend in an ordinate amount of time putting out press releases for ridiculous stories. If the story is true, I am sure the Court would know how that would play out in the media and public opinion. Yes, pets are a part of your family. But flying a dog into another country to take care of him. The expenses involved with that..when people are dyring. They would make it a lot more low key. I give the family a lot more credit than that.

I guess my point is...with the advance of technology...we shouldn't believe everything that we read right away. Some times people are quick to publish andd run with a story without checking their sources.

[yamamah]

Well they did try to keep it low key and stop it being leaked but it has been. I don't know how well you know Jordan Zonk but this type of thing (actions) goes on a lot.

[Huda]

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[Veram98]

Originally Posted by yamamah

I guess then that the royals should put out a statement about it. It is being reported in other places

King Abdullah’s Doomed Dog Dies in Israel - News Briefs - Israel National News
World Bulletin [ Jordan sends "secretly" royal dog to Israel during Gaza offensive ]

They all have the same source: Yediot Acharonot (they say it explicitely). I remember other stories by this paper on the JRF which proofed later on to be at least questionable (for example the "reports" about an imminent divorce of the royal couple in 2006).

[yamamah]

They were going through marital difficulties back then. It was known in certain circles in Amman.

[Veram98]

Not every rumour is true (especially not every rumour in Jordan). And there are people (and papers) making up great stories out of bagatelles.

[yamamah]

well let's just hope it isn't true and whilst not every rumour in Amman is true, many stories are squashed by the palace when they have a basis in truth. You get to know in Amman according to who and what you know.

[Veram98]

of course, the palace tries to stop rumours. But Jordanians are really great in spreading rumours (not only concerning the royals. I have my own personal experiences there). And if all what I have heard by my friends or relatives there would have been true, there would be at least 10 more royal kids or the king married now to his fourth or fifth wife.
But I also do not believe everything that some Israeli papers are reporting about Jordan (if it would have been Haaretz or the Jerusalem Post, but Yediot Acharonot ??? .. I have my doubts).

[yamamah]

Not only rumours but potentially damaging stories about real events. That is why they have a press office and a tight grip on the media. Naturally one discerns what one listens to and common sense tells you that the more outrageous claims are indeed nonsense but this one is within the bounds of possibility as they have had animals treated in Israel before (horses). One hopes it isn't true as if it is, it is utterly shameful.

You may downplay the newspaper in question but I believe there is a similar one in the UK called News of the World, which whilst not known for it's quality reportage has indeed been the first source for stories which although 'poo pooed' at the time have later turned out to be true. Like I said, let us hope this is not true.

[Zonk]

We have something similar in the states...called the National Enquirer. And yes, they have been right a time or two as well. But they have often been wrong a couple more times.

My point is...let's just take this story with a grain of salt.

[Lamyah]

This couple is always tireless working in representing their country so well.

[Humera]

Originally Posted by Veram98

They all have the same source: Yediot Acharonot (they say it explicitely). I remember other stories by this paper on the JRF which proofed later on to be at least questionable (for example the "reports" about an imminent divorce of the royal couple in 2006).

Now I know why that name sounds suspicious.
I remember that story from a couple of yeas ago, even then it was that specific newspaper that had that story (which was later re-quoted in one or two others) and doubts were raised about it's validity. I know that Queen Rania mentioned that she was affected by that rumour, that she and her husband actually talked about it over breakfast one morning and the King asked her not to give any credence to it (this was in Elle magazine). So yes, I have my doubts about this source, especially when it's an Israeli newspaper talking about the Jordanian royal family.

[Amoula]

Originally Posted by Little_star

The Jordanin RF, and other Arab Royals for that matter, have a history of having medical treatment abroad. I can't say I'm surprised by this story.

However, it bothers me that the biggest issue some seem to be having is the fact is was an Israeli hospital. Would it make it any better if they had transported the animal to an Arab country?

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No that is not the issue,the issue that this happened while thousands of ppl of Gaza were under attack and thousands were injured and killed but couldn't get any medical treatment whatsoever!

[yamamah]

There have been a few rocky patches in the marriage and ALL royal families put out the 'everything is fine' message when such things occur. It is called PR. Same thing for Prince Charles & Diana, Countess Alexandra in Denmark etc, all tried to gloss over things. In some cases, the marriage survives the bad patch, in others it doesn't but unless a divorce is really imminent, the royal houses always issue denials and say how good everything is. The fact she felt compelled to mention it in a fashion magazine says a lot. This newspaper doesn't run the National Enquirer 'my baby's father is an alien' type story. In this case there are precedences with their horses, which is why I find it to be within the realms of possibility and much information about the royals is kept within a certain circle (in all countries) and you have to know your sources and trust them and their credentials rather than people who don't know the family at all.

A classic example is when King Hussein had a friendship with a journalist that threatened his marriage to Noor and yet they presented the united front despite most people knowing that something was wrong.

The reality is that this story will get squashed as it is too damaging to them to be allowed to be reported openly so it will stay within that nebulous realm of stories that are no smoke without fire and yet won't be proven until some years later.

[Veram98]

Originally Posted by yamamah

The reality is that this story will get squashed as it is too damaging to them to be allowed to be reported openly

This is only possible in Jordan, but not in Israel. Other stories about contacts between both countries that the palace wanted to keep a secret in recent years (since the peace treaty of 1994) were discussed and reported widely in the Israeli press (in these cases in the more serious papers, too).