Jordan is Israel's essential, and often neglected, partner
Israel and Jordan are on the same side on these issues, but clearly, Israel has not invested enough in the relationship.
By JPOST EDITORIALPROTESTERS IN Jordan hold Jordanian and Palestinian flags as they march in protest against Israel.(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is increasing pressure on Israel, warning against its activity in Jerusalem and around the sensitive, holy Temple Mount site. Jordan’s representative to the United Nations has supported pro-Palestinian resolutions in the world body’s General Assembly and has accused Israel of imposing a “fait accompli” in Jerusalem. The kingdom is the traditional guardian of the holy sites, and supports Muslim and Christian places of worship in Israel’s capital.The Palestinians are coordinating with Jordan and have also called for boycotts of Israeli products made in the West Bank and are seeking more international support. This comes as the US administration is about to change, and Palestinians and Jordan expect a new tailwind of support from Washington after years in which they were ignored, or sidelined by the Trump administration.In recent weeks, Jordan has also been active in the Gulf, where Israel has new-found allies and the King traveled to the United Arab Emirates for a trilateral meeting with counterparts from Bahrain and the UAE. Jordanian troops also held joint training exercises in Egypt with soldiers from the Gulf. What is noticeable is how Jordan avoids any official meetings with Israel even as Jerusalem hosts high level delegations from Bahrain, and as Israeli government officials plan more visits to the UAE.Jordan has a historic relationship with Israel and signed a peace treaty in 1994 but the peace has grown cold. Part of this may be personal, and speaks to the relationship between King Abdullah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who seemingly do not get along. While Jordan-Israel ties are said to be good when it comes to regional security issues, publicly there is almost no manifestation of the peace deal between the countries.This is unfortunate, because Jordan is an important and key state in the region and its security and stability are essential to Israel due to its geographic location, wedged between Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian Authority. It acts as a rock upon which the region’s challenges and conflicts have generally broken. But the kingdom maintains this stability in a precarious way, balancing the demands of a population facing economic hardships with support from western governments such as the US and the UK.The king reached out to the Trump administration in 2017, one of the leaders who had phone calls and meetings with the then new US President but all that changed after the US decided to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Netanyahu appeared to totally ignore Jordan and it responded by demanding that Israel return two pieces of land it was able to access in the Jordan Valley as part of the peace deal.Ignoring Jordan’s concerns has appeared to work for Israel in the last years because the Abraham Accords were successful. But relations with the Gulf are not a stand-in for relations with Amman. Jordan is essential because of its role in Jerusalem, its close relationship with the Palestinians and also because, as a monarchy, it is close to the Gulf monarchies. Enemies such as Iran are always trying to increase their influence with the Palestinians. In addition, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is linked to Hamas and Turkey’s ruling AK party, have wanted to undermine the Palestinian leadership and Jordan.Israel and Jordan are on the same side on these issues, but clearly, Israel has not invested enough in the relationship.This must change. As a new US administration takes office, Israel should be working with Jordan rather than have the kingdom be one more voice encouraging the US to be tough on it and seek to undermine the new peace agreements it forged in the Gulf. Netanyahu could do more by sending positive messages in Jordan’s direction and showing a greater readiness to listen to the king and his concerns. It doesn’t require appeasement of Amman to show strength and respect for the kingdom and that its views matter to Israel.Jordan doesn’t want to provoke the region against Israel, it doesn’t want instability, but it wants to be heard. Israel can change that. It can begin by listening.