Jordan

Jordan struggles with winds of change in Middle EastEran Lerman quoted in an article by JNS

As leaders meet, Jordan finds itself vital to US plans in the region
Prof. Efraim Inbar: The Americans want to enlist Jordan to contribute to stability in Iraq.

Are Israel and Jordan ready to turn over a new leaf?
Prof. Efraim Inbar: It is not realistic to expect drastic changes. The relationship will improve slowly.

Instability in neighboring Jordan is ‘bad news’ for Israel
Prof. Efraim Inbar: Jordan serves as a friendly buffer on the east. The territories east of Jordan until the border of India are in the hands of rulers under Islamist influence.

US-Jordan defense pact good for Israel, stability in Mideast
Prof. Efraim Inbar: I doubt whether we will see a serious American military presence in Jordan, as the US still wants to disengage from the Middle East.

The next Israeli government would be well-advised to come-up with its own proposals for improving the life of Palestinians, both to further improve its own regional standing and to meet (some of the) administration’s expectations, in dialogue and partnership.

Mideast Arms Race: Is Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Eroding?
Prof. Efraim Inbar: Part of the price of peace is that the Arabs receive American weapons. It happened with Egypt and Jordan. It’s nothing new.

Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan seek to develop a regional bloc in the geographical center of the Arab world. But all three countries are poor and dependent in for economic largesse on more wealthy partners, so their regional aspirations and strategies will necessarily be limited.

Despite criticism from abroad, Israelis united over annexation
Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank have drawn criticism from around the world, but most Israelis favor the goal.

Jordan Valley settlements were established by the Labor Movement,
and the late Yitzhak Rabin believed in them. Nearly all Israelis want
the Jordan Valley to remain part of the state, and we must not let this opportunity slip by.

Will annexation destroy Israeli-Jordanian peace, set kingdom aflame?
Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman: Annexation will not destroy the Jordanian and Egyptian governments, nor will it harm the peace treaties with Israel.

Is Jordan’s stability indispensable?
Dr. Joshua Krasna: A stable Jordan prevents the establishment of a hostile regime or the spread of chaos on Israel’s longest border.

The sovereignty dilemma.
Major Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror: We need a strong and effective Jordanian regime, that shares in interest for a quiet border with us.

It is convenient for Amman to have Israel retain security control over the Jordan Valley. And this is a rare opportunity to advance and potentially realize Israel's security needs for a cemented border in the east with the support of the world's top superpower.

Israel - Jordan: Diplomacy & Security.
Dr. Joshua Krasna: The security and stability of Jordan is always a question, but the King is in control.

A selective settlement policy focusing on areas within the Israeli consensus, including Ma’aleh Adumim and the Jordan Valley, can be pursued with little foreign interference.

Jordan and other conservative Arab states are struggling with a difficult superpower ally and facing threats of regional escalation.

25th anniversary of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
Dr. Josh Krasna discusses the state of Israeli-Jordanian relations, the future of the peace treaty, and the role of the Trump administration.

Twenty-five years after the signing of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty, the bilateral relationship is in a challenging phase, but nothing should obscure the crucial benefits strategic and security cooperation affords to both sides, and the centrality of the relations to each side’s national security.

Jordan’s King Abdullah seeks regional prestige and standing … at Israel’s expense.
Dr. Joshua Krasna: It is difficult to see the benefits of giving an important role on the Temple Mount to the Saudis, a fundamentalist Sunni regime which has actively supported radical Salafi movements in the recent past and whose friendship with Israel is new and, unlike our relationship with Jordan, hardly tested.

Amid Tensions Over Peace Treaty, Jordan Requests More Water From Israel.
Dr. Eran lerman: Amman’s suspension of a land lease may be a bargaining chip to extract more water from Jerusalem.

Stemming The Tide: France Boosts Aid To Jordan For Syrian Refugees.
Dr. Emmanuel Navon: Macron is seeking to fill the void left by the US in the Middle East, and boost France’s hard and soft power in the region.

Israel's national interest, and the broader patterns of cooperation among key regional partners in the "camp of stability," require close attention to the needs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For decades, it has been, and remains, part of Israel's strategic depth.

Israel is part of the Mediterranean community, both in strategic terms and in many aspects of the country's culture and its way of life. Translating this into a new regional security architecture is in Israel's national interest.