Yesterday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II met with President Trump at the White House, and announced that he has agreed to bring 2,000 Gazan children to his country for medical treatment. Ghaith al-Omari wrote, just prior to Abdullah’s visit:
Politically, the Gaza war spurred the resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood [in Jordan], who mirrored Hamas’s talking points and leveraged the public outcry over Israel’s military operations to their benefit. Amman bears part of the blame for this trend. Jordanian officials have harshly criticized Israel during the war, arguing that this approach was needed to contain public anger. Yet by riding the wave of popular discontent, they also fed that wave, reinforcing the Brotherhood’s message. . . . In the West Bank, growing instability could eventually spill over into Jordan—a threat that is further complicated by Amman’s very tense political relations with Israel.
And then yesterday Abdullah sat through a press conference while the president spoke of his commitment to the depopulation of Gaza. Al-Omari explains why Jordan objects to the plan, and how it should respond:
Trump’s proposal poses genuine threats to the kingdom’s national security. . . . One thing is clear: transferring Gazans to Jordan would inevitably help Hamas reestablish a foothold in the kingdom, which authorities have been diligently combating since expelling the terrorist group’s leaders in 1999.
What is needed is a detailed, practical, coordinated approach by likeminded Arab governments, and Trump’s proposal has put the ball squarely in their court to come up with alternatives. What the king can—and should—do is present practical ideas for what he is willing to do in Gaza, consistent with Jordan’s modest capabilities.
Read more on Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/king-abdullah-must-show-trump-practical-arab-ideas-gaza