Israel Moves To Secure Its Most Vulnerable Border

Israel’s longest and most porous border, shared with Jordan, has been the scene of smuggling and multiple infiltrations. Iran and its proxies have led much of the activity to funnel materiel to Palestinian terrorist groups in the West Bank. In response, Israel has begun constructing a security barrier that will cover the entire 264 miles of the border, passing along the West Bank border with Jordan, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had already announced the establishment of an eastern division to protect its frontier with Jordan in October 2024.

These moves could significantly reduce the flow of weapons along the border, but questions remain about how effective such a barrier can be. The border’s length and difficult terrain, as well as the previous successes of smuggling networks adapting to obstacles — such as using drones to carry light weapons across the border — make it difficult. The new barrier will likely place additional strain on Jerusalem’s cold relationship with Amman, currently at a historic low point, despite robust security cooperation.

Jordan Is a Critical Corridor for Arms Smuggling Into the West Bank

Since 2020, Israeli and Jordanian authorities have intercepted more than 1,000 firearms destined for Iran’s proxies in the West Bank and for criminal networks inside Israel. Still, many weapons successfully cross the border. There have also been infiltration attempts from the Jordanian side into Israel. In October 2024, two Jordanians crossed into Israel south of the Dead Sea and attacked two Israeli soldiers, wounding both before the IDF killed the two terrorists. The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood later claimed that the two were affiliated with the organization.

Most smuggling operations are not carried out by members of Iran’s proxy networks themselves. The weapons are transported from either Syria or Iraq and handed over to seasoned Palestinian and Jordanian arms traffickers who know the border well. Given its length, there are numerous dead zones that lack adequate monitoring. Constructing a barrier could help address this vulnerability.

Jordanian’s Cold Relationship With Israel

Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks from Gaza, Jordanian officials have been overtly critical of Israel. In its initial statement on October 7, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry called for a “halt to the escalation.” The statement avoided any explicit condemnation of Hamas or its atrocities. The government’s rhetoric has helped anti-Israel groups like the Muslim Brotherhood to exploit the public’s frustrations with the Gaza War, inciting support for Hamas and its slain leaders throughout the war. The Jordanian government has allowed these groups space to express their views and has refrained from cracking down on their rhetoric, fearing domestic unrest and the perception that it is opposing an issue with broad popular support.

Growing extremism threatens Jordan’s otherwise strong security partnership with Israel, the value of which was evident during Iran’s attacks on Israel. Jordan allowed Israeli jets to enter its airspace and intercept many of Iran’s projectiles. But the Jordanian government is clearly feeling pressure to mirror the public’s negative sentiments toward Israel, and the border fence may become another target of this dynamic. Jordanian officials routinely worry that any overt cooperation with Israel could brand the government as collaborators with Jerusalem.

Israel and Jordan Must Balance Political Friction With Security Coordination

Both countries recognize Iran as a significant threat to the region’s stability. It’s imperative that Jordan understand that weapons flowing into the West Bank will also have adverse impacts on Jordan’s national security. Iran has always had ambitions of increasing its influence in the Jordan with the aim of destabilizing the monarchy. Tehran also sees Jordan as a conduit to increase its pressure on Israel. Despite the domestic challenges for Jordan, it is essential that the United States emphasize to the Jordanians the centrality of the security relationship with Israel as a counter to Iran’s ambitions, and advise Jordan not to politicize the border barrier by portraying it as a land grab to avoid a rhetoric that can be exploited by radical groups to rile up the population.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.