Published in the Jerusalem Post, 15 April 2024:
Like his fellow national
leaders, King Abdullah of Jordan is well aware of the danger that Iran – a
non-Arab entity – poses to his nation and the Arab world generally. Its aim to dominate the region, both
politically and religiously, and its actions in support of these objectives,
unites much of the Arab world, and gives it common cause with Israel.
Ever since Hamas’s murderous assault into
Israel on October 7, Jordan has been attempting to manage and curb widespread opposition
to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Perhaps
that is not surprising given that around 60% of Jordan’s population, including
the popular Queen Rania, is of Palestinian origin. As in most other Arab countries,
pro-Palestinian support has gone further. A recent University of Jordan poll found
that 66% of Jordanians actually defend the slaughter and
hostage-taking perpetrated by Hamas.
Simmering unrest at
popular level makes the Jordanian authorities uneasy, while the popularity of Hamas
– a proxy of the Iranian regime – is perceived as a threat to the stability of
the kingdom. About a thousand people
were arrested in Amman during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in October and
November 2023, nominally for criminal behavior. Activists claimed the arrests were an attempt
to stifle popular demands for the state to adopt an unequivocal anti-Israel
position on the Gaza conflict.
King Abdullah has defied
the more extreme popular demands, ignoring calls for Jordan to cut all ties
with Israel and cancel the 1994 peace treaty.
On the contrary, on the night of April 13-14 he acted decisively in the
common interests of Jordan and Israel.
The administration had earlier closed its airspace as a precaution
against an Iranian strike across its border.
That is exactly what happened when the massive Iranian drone and missile
attack attempted to reach Israel by flying over Jordan..
Abdullah proved as good
as his word. Authoritative sources
confirm that Jordan's air force intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian
drones that violated its airspace. In
neighborhoods south of the capital Amman, some 60 km (37 miles) from Jerusalem,
several downed drones have been seen.
Jordan has been
struggling for six months to restrain protests in support of Hamas. One massive pro-Hamas demonstration was
sparked at the end of March.
On Sunday morning, March 24, the principal news presenter on Qatari-owned al-Jazeera, Elsy Abi Assi, interviewed on live TV a Gazan woman named Jamila Al-Hessi.
“Is there anything worse
than this?” said al-Hissi. “Is there anything more horrifying than hearing
women call for help, and when we try to reach them to provide assistance, they
shoot at us?”
Her allegations spread
like wildfire on social media.
The IDF’s Arabic spokesperson, Lt. Col. Avichai Adraee, immediately took to social media to deny al-Hissi’s story. In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, he said that there was “no evidence for these allegations.” An unknown woman had called in with a series of claims. “No one knows who she is,” said Adraee. “She just claimed and claimed and lied.”
His denial was ignored and, said Aaron Magid, a journalist specializing in Jordanian affairs, “thousands of Jordanians hit the streets to protest.”
A few hours later Yasser
Abuhilalah, a former director-general of al-Jazeerah, posted on X a full
disclaimer. A Hamas investigation into these allegations, he announced, had
concluded that they were not true, al-Hissi had retracted her story, and he apologized
for promulgating the false report. He
dissociated al-Jazeera from al-Hissi and the unsustainable motives she had
given for making her false claims.
According to some analysts,
Hamas issued a rare public denial of these claims because their dissemination
in northern Gaza was having the opposite effect than intended. Instead of stoking enmity against Israel, they
had caused Palestinians to flee the area in fear for their safety. Hamas wants as many civilians exposed to
possible IDF action as possible.
The next day al-Jazeera pulled
all references to al-Hessi’s claims from its online platforms, but the damage had
been done. The false report had been viewed over 2 million times within the
first 24 hours.
The slogan “All of
Jordan is Hamas” has been a popular chant at the protests. In official circles it is regarded as both
untrue and destabilizing. The ruling
establishment is perfectly well aware that since the early days of the war Hamas
leaders have sought to stir up tensions in Jordan. In a speech in November, Hamas military
spokesman Abu Obeida called on Jordanians to escalate all forms of protest.
“You, our people in Jordan,” he declared
controversially, “are the nightmare of the occupation (ie Israel). It fears
your mobilization, and strives tirelessly to neutralize and isolate you from
your cause.”
Placards with Abu Obeida’s picture have been a common sight at the latest protests.
All the same, in an
attempt to placate popular anti-Israel opinion, he and Queen Rania have stepped
up their anti-Israel rhetoric. Rania has
been constantly urging Western leaders to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and
must be delighted that finally she appears to have turned opinion in her
direction. Abdullah took the lead in opposing those
Western nations who decided to suspend funding UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works
Agency), when it was discovered that a number of its officials had actually
participated in Hamas’s bloodthirsty attack on Israel on October 7.
In short, the current
situation in Jordan could be described as the royal family and the administration
struggling to keep the lid on a bubbling cauldron of anti-government sentiment
that is fanatically determined to identify with Hamas and to sever all formal
ties with Israel. At the same time
Abdullah, well aware that popular opinion and the nation’s self-interest rarely
coincide, pragmatically refuses to allow Iran free passage over his airspace in
order to attack Israel. The
Israel-Jordan peace treaty, often subject to pressure, stress and difficulty,
stands firm.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-797050
No comments:
Post a Comment