When Jordan’s King Abdullah II met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin this week, he stressed the need for calm and de-escalation in the West Bank, a theme that also came out of a recent meeting between Israeli and Jordanian officials in Aqaba on February 26.
However, Austin’s visit is larger than just Jordan, Israel or the West Bank. It comes after US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley’s trip, which included a stop in Israel – and a visit to US forces in Syria. It also follows a briefing and update by Combined Joint Task Force commander Maj.-Gen. Matthew McFarlane about the anti-ISIS mission.
Jordanian media have stressed peace and stability on the Palestinian issue. Of course, Jordan made sure to reaffirm the importance of a two-state solution with a Palestinian state having “east Jerusalem as its capital.” The meeting also covered the strategic partnership between Jordan and the US, as well as prospects for expanding defense cooperation, The Jordan Times reported.
Abdullah expressed support for the continuing strong ties with the US.
“Regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach were also discussed.... Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, US Ambassador to Jordan Henry Wooster, and the accompanying US delegation attended the meeting,” the report added.
Turkish media did note that Austin’s trip includes Israel and Egypt. Along with Jordan, these were the key peace partners of Israel in the immediate region prior to the signing of the Abraham Accords.
Austin's trip, Turkey nad the Iranian threat
Somehow, the trip doesn’t include Turkey, which has had strained ties with the US because Ankara is preventing Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, and because Ankara continues to threaten US partners in Syria.
The earthquake might have provided a chance for ties to improve. Turkish media saw the trip as expressing US support and commitment to the region and giving attention to the “growing Iranian threat.”
Jordan and Egypt have not been very keen on discussing the Iranian threat, in part because Egypt has amicable ties with the Syrian regime and Iraq, which Jordan also borders. Iran operates in both of these countries.
Where Saudi Arabia and some other states can be openly concerned about Iran’s threats, Jordan and Egypt are more circumspect on the issue. Israel, however, has openly expressed its concerns about Iran.
Syria slammed Milley’s visit. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad complained that the US visit was “illegal” and “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity” of Syrian territory, according to Syria’s state media SANA.
He called on the US “to immediately cease its systematic and continued violation of international law and support for separatist armed groups.” Syria’s regime – backed by Russia and Iran – is currently working on reconciliation with Turkey.
IRAN USES proxies in Syria to target US forces, a major stronghold of which is at a garrison at Tanf near the Jordanian border. While Tanf was not mentioned in the reports, it is clear that any US visits by these key military figures must include some discussion of the future US role in Tanf and eastern Syria.
The Milley visit to eastern Syria exhibits continued US commitment. It also comes after Iran pledged more support for Iraq’s army last week, while the US has its own forces in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government. The US also works closely with the Kurdistan Regional Government.
In Israel, Milley met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and discussed that “ongoing cooperation is required in order to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon,” according to a Defense Ministry statement. The meeting was attended by new IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and IDF Attaché to Washington Maj.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman.
Milley's meeting came right after the Defense Ministry put out a statement saying the US-Israel Defense Acquisition Advisory Group convened last week in Israel. Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir hosted the US Department of Defense delegation led by Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William A. LaPlante, together with additional senior Israeli and American officials.
According to the statement, they discussed “the countries’ ironclad defense partnership and the breadth and depth of the bilateral armaments cooperation, industrial cooperation, joint research and development, and priority procurement initiatives. The delegations also focused on Israel’s capabilities to cope with regional challenges and threats, namely the Iranian ambition to undermine Middle Eastern stability.”
Concern over tensions in Israel's West Bank
It’s clear from Gulf-based media that amid these US visits, concerns are rising about tensions in the West Bank, including from Saudi Arabia, especially regarding controversial comments by government ministers following the violence and arson attacks by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara in the West Bank.
Media out of the United Arab Emirates pondered the possibility of security escalation during Ramadan, which will begin on March 22. Reports at Al Ain Media, Arab News, The National and other media in Saudi Arabia and the UAE show a certain focus on the tensions in the West Bank and on Israel’s reactions.
This is a clear message to the administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is unclear if attempts to reduce violence in the West Bank, either via Israeli raids or by Palestinian Authority support for deploying security forces, will calm things down.
US security support for the PA has been a key to calm in the past. But can the PA rein in the illegal weapons in Jenin, Nablus and Jericho? The visits by Austin and Milley, as well as news coverage from the Gulf, Jordan, Syria and Israel, reflect changes in the region.
Last month, the earthquake in Syria brought a renewed sense of support for reconciliation with the Syrian regime among some Arab states, such as the UAE and Oman. The US visit to Syria, shoring up support for the Syrian Democratic Forces, is important in that context, as are US visits to Jordan and Israel.