Zaid Hamza in an Interview with 'Rum': 'Wasfi' Arrested Me and This Is Why I Resigned from Rifai's Government - Video

Rum News Agency and Al-Shahed Media Group hosted the veteran politician and former Minister of Health, Dr. Zaid Hamza, in a significant interview filled with many surprises and secrets revealed for the first time.

Hamza began his interview with 'Rum' by discussing how Jordan has overcome various crises and challenges it has faced. He noted that those who have witnessed the history of this country understand that the journey was not easy, despite the mix of good and other intentions during this journey.

Hamza mentioned that the Jordanian people started from scratch, giving an example of how primitive the health services were at the beginning of the Jordanian state and how malaria was claiming the lives of Jordanians.

He spoke about his time in Egypt, where he witnessed the eras of King Farouk and Gamal Abdel Nasser and the nature of the latter's relationship with the late King Hussein bin Talal. He said, 'I was fortunate to live during the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the unpleasant King Farouk, followed by the 1952 revolution.' He continued, 'There was a big difference between the two eras. When Abdel Nasser came, his relationship with King Hussein was tense, but then it became strong between the two leaders.'

Hamza mentioned that his decision to study medicine was based on the advice of the late Prime Minister Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Majali, who had a friendly relationship with his family. Al-Majali, having studied medicine himself, encouraged Hamza to study medicine instead of engineering and convinced him to do so.

Regarding his resignation as Minister of Health during Zaid Al-Rifai's government, Hamza commented, 'I resigned due to a decision made behind my back, which was to move towards 'privatization.' I opposed this decision and revealed many of its flaws, but I was not listened to. To be fair, the Prime Minister did not stand against me and was understanding.'

Hamza recalled an incident that saddened King Hussein: the disappearance of his brother, Captain Ziad Hamza's plane, which was found six months later. He added, 'King Hussein followed my brother Ziad's case daily because Ziad was a personal friend of the King and had flown with him on his first honeymoon trip to Spain.'

Regarding his relationship with the late Wasfi Tal, Hamza said, 'There was no relationship between me and Wasfi Tal. Wasfi was a source of hope for Jordanians, and he came with determination and resolve. However, in Wasfi's second ministry, we suffered harm. When I returned from my specialization trip to Britain in 1962, my younger brother, Captain Sahil Hamza, had become the Air Force Commander and was very close to King Hussein. My brother Sahil was tasked with mobilizing his air force to strike the revolution in Yemen. The Prime Minister at that time was Wasfi Tal, and my brother Sahil could not tolerate this. After numerous attempts to convince the officials of the futility of this, he decided to take his plane without any prior arrangement and went to Egypt. After this incident, Wasfi Tal arrested me, my father, and my brothers.'

Zaid Hamza also shared a humorous story about his honeymoon, which cost him only 200 Jordanian Dinars and was a tourist trip by boat along the European coast.

Regarding his most memorable moments with King Hussein, Hamza said, 'I accompanied King Hussein when he went to have surgery in the middle ear area in London. I stayed with him in the hospital for a whole week. During my visits, he was very kind and warm-hearted. When the topic of my martyr brother Ziad came up, he would say, 'We are brothers and one family.' He never spoke ill of my brother Sahil.'

He added, 'My pilot brother Sahil returned to Jordan with a special royal pardon from King Hussein and was appointed as the Director of the Aqaba Railway by royal decree.'

Zaid Hamza in an Interview with 'Rum': 'Wasfi' Arrested Me and This Is Why I Resigned from Rifai's Government - Video

Rum News Agency and Al-Shahed Media Group hosted the veteran politician and former Minister of Health, Dr. Zaid Hamza, in a significant interview filled with many surprises and secrets revealed for the first time.

Hamza began his interview with 'Rum' by discussing how Jordan has overcome various crises and challenges it has faced. He noted that those who have witnessed the history of this country understand that the journey was not easy, despite the mix of good and other intentions during this journey.

Hamza mentioned that the Jordanian people started from scratch, giving an example of how primitive the health services were at the beginning of the Jordanian state and how malaria was claiming the lives of Jordanians.

He spoke about his time in Egypt, where he witnessed the eras of King Farouk and Gamal Abdel Nasser and the nature of the latter's relationship with the late King Hussein bin Talal. He said, 'I was fortunate to live during the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the unpleasant King Farouk, followed by the 1952 revolution.' He continued, 'There was a big difference between the two eras. When Abdel Nasser came, his relationship with King Hussein was tense, but then it became strong between the two leaders.'

Hamza mentioned that his decision to study medicine was based on the advice of the late Prime Minister Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Majali, who had a friendly relationship with his family. Al-Majali, having studied medicine himself, encouraged Hamza to study medicine instead of engineering and convinced him to do so.

Regarding his resignation as Minister of Health during Zaid Al-Rifai's government, Hamza commented, 'I resigned due to a decision made behind my back, which was to move towards 'privatization.' I opposed this decision and revealed many of its flaws, but I was not listened to. To be fair, the Prime Minister did not stand against me and was understanding.'

Hamza recalled an incident that saddened King Hussein: the disappearance of his brother, Captain Ziad Hamza's plane, which was found six months later. He added, 'King Hussein followed my brother Ziad's case daily because Ziad was a personal friend of the King and had flown with him on his first honeymoon trip to Spain.'

Regarding his relationship with the late Wasfi Tal, Hamza said, 'There was no relationship between me and Wasfi Tal. Wasfi was a source of hope for Jordanians, and he came with determination and resolve. However, in Wasfi's second ministry, we suffered harm. When I returned from my specialization trip to Britain in 1962, my younger brother, Captain Sahil Hamza, had become the Air Force Commander and was very close to King Hussein. My brother Sahil was tasked with mobilizing his air force to strike the revolution in Yemen. The Prime Minister at that time was Wasfi Tal, and my brother Sahil could not tolerate this. After numerous attempts to convince the officials of the futility of this, he decided to take his plane without any prior arrangement and went to Egypt. After this incident, Wasfi Tal arrested me, my father, and my brothers.'

Zaid Hamza also shared a humorous story about his honeymoon, which cost him only 200 Jordanian Dinars and was a tourist trip by boat along the European coast.

Regarding his most memorable moments with King Hussein, Hamza said, 'I accompanied King Hussein when he went to have surgery in the middle ear area in London. I stayed with him in the hospital for a whole week. During my visits, he was very kind and warm-hearted. When the topic of my martyr brother Ziad came up, he would say, 'We are brothers and one family.' He never spoke ill of my brother Sahil.'

He added, 'My pilot brother Sahil returned to Jordan with a special royal pardon from King Hussein and was appointed as the Director of the Aqaba Railway by royal decree.'