Israel-Hamas war: Why Jordan withdrawing its diplomat is a big deal

In a big blow for Israel in the backdrop of its war with Hamas, Jordan has recalled its diplomat. Amman has said it is doing so to protest Jerusalem’s bombardment of Gaza and the ensuing humanitarian crisis. The ambassador would only return to Tel Aviv if Israel halted its war on the enclave and ended “the humanitarian crisis it has caused,” foreign minister Ayman Safadi said. “This is to express Jordan’s stance that rejects and condemns the Israeli war on Gaza that kills innocents and is causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” Safadi said in a statement carried on state media. Safadi said the decision was also taken because Israel was depriving Palestinians of food, water and medicines after it imposed a siege on the enclave following a devastating assault by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. Jordan was stepping up diplomatic efforts to pressure Israel to end the war, which brought “dangerous risks” of conflict spreading across the region and threatening global peace, Safadi added. Israel’s ambassador in Jordan, who left two weeks ago amid protests, would only be allowed to return on the same conditions, the minister said. But why is Jordan withdrawing its diplomat such a big blow to Israel? Let’s take a closer look: Jordan and West Asia First, let’s take a brief look at Jordan. The tiny country in West Asia shares a border with the Israel-occupied West Bank as well as Saudi Arabia. When Israel first came into existence on 14 May, 1948, it was attacked by several Arab nations including Jordan. As per BBC, that conflict, known as the Arab-Israeli war, saw Jordan take the West Bank. Amman would hold onto the West Bank until 1967 – when Israeli forces took it back. Jordan eventually gave up its claim to the West Bank in 1988. The country in 1994 became just the second Arab nation to sign a peace deal with Israel – after Egypt did so at the historic Camp David accords.

Jordan is a key ally of the United States in the region.

Despite its meagre resources – which leaves it heavily dependent on foreign aid mostly from the US – it plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of power in West Asia. This is evinced by Jordan’s stewardship of the Al-Aqsa complex through its Jerusalem Waqf Council. The Al-Aqsa complex is home to the Al-Aqsa mosque – the holiest site in Jerusalem and the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Israel captured the area in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it with the rest of East Jerusalem and adjoining parts of the West Bank in a move not recognised internationally. As per The Print, The Waqf under the “status quo” handles the complex’s day-to-day affairs and also safeguards the site’s religious and cultural heritage. [caption id=“attachment_12422612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Al-Aqsa Mosque is the holiest site in Judaism and the third holiest site in Islam. AP[/caption] As per WION, the mosque is managed by Jordan and the Palestinians though admission to the site remains in the hands of Israelis.   While Muslims can enter day and night and pray, non-Muslims can do so only at specified times – and are not allowed to pray. Widespead support for Palestine  But Jordan is facing a tricky balancing act due to widespread support for Palestine. As per NPR, most of Jordan’s populace are the descendants of those who left Palestine – either voluntarily or were evicted by force – after Israel came into being. The country has witnessed daily protests calling on the authorities to close the Israeli embassy and scrap the unpopular 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan. The Israeli embassy has long been a flashpoint of anti-Israel protests at times of turmoil in the Palestinian territories. The authorities who have stepped up security have use tear gas on several occasions to prevent angry mobs from storming the heavily guarded embassy and has arrested hundreds involved in rioting near the area. The main Islamist opposition led by the Muslim Brotherhood have called for large demonstrations across the country next Friday in support of the militant group Hamas, which now enjoys widespread popularity among many Jordanians. Issam Nimmer, who attended a rally in downtown Amman outside a mosque, was among hundreds who cheered when an Israeli flag was set ablaze. Nimmer, who was born and raised in Jordan, told NPR he owns a clothing shop and is attending the protest with his adult daughter. “This is what we can do, especially because all the international media is with Israel, so we try to express ourselves,” Nimmer was quoted as saying. Many also fear that the current conflict gives Israel an excuse to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank. NPR quoted Hannan Halaq, a lawyer and businesswoman, as saying her father would speak of people of all faiths living peacefully together in Jerusalem when he was a child. But Halaq has a very different attitude towards Israelis today.

“They hate us. They hate our children. They hate how we look. They hate our homes. They want to get rid of us,” she told NPR.

Complicating things is the fact that Jordan is also facing an economic and social crisis after millions of Syrian refugees flooded in since that country’s civil war kicked off. It is currently home to over two million Palestinian refugees, as per BBC. What do experts say? A piece on the website National Interest noted that Jordan has for years backed a two-state solution as a solution to the Palestine-Israel problem. The piece noted that Jordan, Egypt, France and Germany comprise the Munich Group – a non-formal organisation established in early 2020 to keep pushing the two-state solution. “For Jordan, the Palestinian issue is not merely a diplomatic one—it is also a significant security issue. Throughout the years, this has led to multiple efforts by Jordan to push Israeli-Palestinian relations in a better direction,” the piece stated. [caption id=“attachment_13333482” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A girl with a Palestinian flag painted on her face looks on as Jordanians gather during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Amman, Jordan. Reuters[/caption] It added that King Hussein helped the US facilitate talks between Benjamin Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat and that King Abdullah garnered international support against Netanyahu’s annexation plan in 2020. In 2022, King Abdullah yet again was on the forefront of trying to curb a rise in tensions in Jerusalem during Ramadan, it noted.

King Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated that Israel’s “military and security solution” against Palestinians would not succeed.

He added that the only path to a just and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace were negotiations leading to a two-state solution. Israel said it regretted the Jordanian government’s decision, adding it was focused on waging a war against the militant Hamas group after the bloody assault that killed hundreds of Israelis. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel and Jordan on Friday – his second trip to the region since the war was sparked by Hamas’ bloody rampage in southern Israel. Blinken aims to reiterate US support for Israel, but also to push to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza. With inputs from agencies