Jordanian Activists Demand End to Peace With Israel

Latest Developments

Jordanian activists renewed calls on March 31 to demonstrate against the Gaza war and demand an end to Israeli-Jordanian peace. A group named the Jordanian Youth Gathering urged protestors to convene at the Israeli embassy in Amman “to support the resistance in Gaza.” The group said it wants Amman to cancel Jordan’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel and “cut all ties” with the Jewish state. Since March 24, thousands of protestors have converged daily near the Israeli embassy, where Jordanian security forces are increasingly struggling to contain the unrest. On March 26, Jordanian riot police fired tear gas and beat protesters who attempted to storm the embassy.

Expert Analysis

“Jordan’s current troubles are largely born of the regime’s unforced errors. The decision to feed into the pro-Hamas narrative has only emboldened the extreme voices in the country. This was as predictable as it is frustrating. Now the regime must find a way to bring down the temperature on the street, with the Gaza war months away from its end. One can only hope that the internal tension does not continue to escalate.” — Jonathan Schanzer, FDD Senior Vice President for Research

“Iran has long had its eyes set on destabilizing Jordan, which makes the Israeli-Jordanian security relationship all the more important. The king’s decision to distance himself from Israel, spew antisemitism, and foment unrest has put the kingdom in greater jeopardy.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“U.S. and Israeli support is crucial to the Hashemite Kingdom. But the Jordanian government is playing a dangerous game by spewing anti-Israel rhetoric, making this cooperation increasingly unpopular domestically. If King Abdullah isn’t careful, he could end up getting burned by the flames he stoked.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

Jordan Chastises Israel Over Gaza War

Since October 7, Amman has heaped one-sided blame on Israel while refusing to admit displaced Palestinians into Jordan. On October 21, King Abdullah accused Israel of committing “cruel and unconscionable” acts in Gaza and said that Israel’s counteroffensive against Hamas was a “war crime.” Refusing to fault Hamas, Abdullah said in November that the “root of the crisis was Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and its denial of Palestinians’ legitimate rights.” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi charged Israel with “genocide” in December. Jordan’s Queen Rania delivered a speech in February in which she spoke about the October 7 attacks without mentioning Hamas. Rania acknowledged “the brutal October 7th attack” in the context of a “larger story” involving “the endless indignities of life under occupation.”

Jordan’s Cold Peace With Israel

Despite its decades-old peace treaty with Israel, Jordan — which is home to more than 2.3 million Palestinians — has maintained a cold relationship with the Jewish state. Its official rhetoric about Israel has grown increasingly negative, if not vitriolic, and Israel-Jordan diplomatic ties are often tense. During the May 2021 Israel-Hamas war, Jordan effectively sided with Hamas by echoing the terrorist group’s talking points that wrongly blamed Israeli security forces on the Temple Mount for sparking the conflict. In a 2022 speech to the United Nations, King Abdullah also falsely accused Israelis of threatening Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Related Analysis

“Neither Here Nor There: Jordan and the Abraham Accords,” by Jonathan Schanzer

“The Queen’s Speech,” by Clifford D. May

“Egypt and Jordan Condemn Israeli Response to Hamas Massacre,” FDD Flash Brief