Like other national leaders, Jordan’s King Abdullah is well aware of the danger that Iran, a non-Arab state, poses to his country and the entire Arab world. Its aim to dominate the region both politically and religiously, and its actions in support of these aims, unites many Arab states and gives them a common cause with Israel.
Since Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, Jordan has sought to manage and suppress widespread opposition to Israeli military operations in Gaza. That may not be surprising considering that around 60% of Jordan’s population, including the popular Queen Rania, are of Palestinian origin. Like most other Arab countries, pro-Palestinian support goes further. A recent poll by the University of Jordan found that 66% of Jordanians actually defend Hamas’ genocide and hostage crisis.
Smoldering unrest at the national level worries Jordanian authorities, while the popularity of Hamas, a proxy of the Iranian regime, is perceived as a threat to the kingdom’s stability. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in Amman in October and November 2023, and around 1,000 people were arrested, nominally for criminal activity. Activists claimed the arrests were an attempt to crush public demands for the state to take a clear anti-Israel stance on the Gaza conflict.
Jordan has to make a difficult decision.
King Abdullah ignored calls for Jordan to sever ties with Israel and abandon the 1994 peace treaty, ignoring more extreme demands from his people. On the contrary, on the night of April 13-14, he acted decisively for the common interests of Jordan and Israel. The administration had previously closed its airspace as a precaution against cross-border attacks by Iran. That’s exactly what happened when a massive Iranian drone and missile attack passed over Jordan and attempted to reach Israel.
Abdullah did what he said. Authoritative sources have confirmed that the Jordanian Air Force has intercepted and shot down dozens of Iranian drones that violated its airspace. A neighboring area approximately 60 kilometers south of the capital Amman. Several drones were seen shot down from Jerusalem (59 miles away).
Jordan has been struggling for six months to suppress protests supporting Hamas. Large-scale pro-Hamas demonstrations occurred at the end of March.
On the morning of Sunday, March 24, Elsi Abi Assi, the chief news anchor for Qatari-owned Al Jazeera, interviewed a Gazan woman named Jamila Alhesi on live television. She said she had been confined at Shifa Hospital for six days as the IDF carried out intensive searches of the building and its occupants. Alhesi claimed that inside the hospital, Israeli soldiers “raped women, kidnapped them, executed them, dragged their bodies out from under the rubble and released dogs.”
“What could be worse than this?” Alhesi said. “What could be more frightening than hearing women calling for help? When we try to approach them for help, they shoot at us.”
Her claims spread like wildfire on social media.
IDF Arabic spokesperson, Lt. Col. Avichai Adlai quickly denied Alhesi’s story on social media. In a video posted on X, he said, “There is no evidence for these allegations.” I received a series of phone calls from unknown women complaining. “No one knows who she is,” Adley said. “She just argued, argued and lied.”
His denials were ignored, and “thousands of Jordanians took to the streets to protest,” said Aaron Majid, a journalist specializing in Jordan issues.
Hours later, Yasser Abuhilallah, Al Jazeera’s former executive director, posted a full disclaimer on X. He announced that a Hamas investigation into these allegations had concluded they were unfounded, and Alhesi retracted his story and apologized for spreading false reports. He separated Al Jazeera from Alhesi and her unsustainable motives for making her false claims.
According to some analysts, Hamas has publicly denied these claims in rare cases because their dissemination in northern Gaza has had the opposite effect than intended. Far from stirring up hostility against Israel, they evacuated Palestinians from the area out of fear for their safety. Hamas wants as many civilians as possible to be exposed to IDF actions.
The next day, Al Jazeera removed all references to Alhesi’s claims from its online platforms, but the damage had already been done. The false report was viewed more than 2 million times within the first 24 hours.
The slogan “All of Jordan is Hamas” is often shouted at protests. This is seen by government officials as false and destabilizing. The ruling class is well aware that Hamas leaders have been trying to stir up tensions in Jordan since the early days of the war. In a speech in November, Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeidah called on Jordanians to escalate all forms of protest.
“You, our people of Jordan, are an occupation nightmare,” he controversially said. [ie Israel]. It fears your mobilization and works tirelessly to neutralize and isolate you from the cause. ”
Placards with Abu Obeidah’s photo have been a common sight at recent protests.
Nevertheless, in an attempt to placate anti-Israel public opinion, Abdullah and Queen Rania have increased their anti-Israel rhetoric.
Rania, who has constantly appealed to Western leaders for a ceasefire in Gaza, must be glad that opinion finally seems to be changing in her direction. Abdullah was forced to take action against UNRWA when it was discovered that many of its staff had actually participated in Hamas’s bloodthirsty attacks on Israel. He was at the forefront of opposing Western countries’ decision to cut funding. October 7th.
In short, the current situation in Jordan has lifted the lid on a boiling cauldron of anti-government sentiment in which the royal family and regime have merged with Hamas and are feverishly determined to sever formal ties with Israel. You could say that I am struggling to keep it that way. At the same time, Abdullah is well aware that public opinion and national interests rarely align, and pragmatically refuses to allow Iran free passage through its airspace to attack Israel. The Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty remains strong, although it is often subjected to pressure, stress, and hardship.
The author is Eurasia Review’s Middle East correspondent. His latest book is Trump and the Holy Land: 2016-2020. Follow him at a-mid-east-journal.blogspot.com.
