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Jordan could play key role in calming Israeli-Palestinian tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office reportedly requested a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II this week in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings.

Possible talks come amid rising West Bank tensions ahead of the Jewish fall holiday season.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence in recent months as Israel has intensified raids following a wave of fatal Palestinian attacks.

Abdullah has significant influence over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Lapid wants the monarch to use it to help calm the rising tensions in the West Bank.

What does [Lapid] want the king to say to Abbas?

Oraib Rantawi, the founder and director-general of the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies, told The Media Line that the Israeli side wants Jordan’s help to pressure the Palestinian Authority to control the rising violence in the West Bank.

“Israel fears the escalation of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank and wants to push the PA to activate its security presence in some volatile areas such as Jenin and Nablus,” he said.

Rantawi wondered if Lapid hoped for the king to intervene. “What does he want the king to say to Abbas?” he asked.

“I do not think Jordan has many cards to play on this issue, and it does not have much to say to Abbas, because in the end Jordan is also affected by the Israeli aggression and violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Jordan finds it difficult to exercise Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites,” says Rantawi.

Israeli journalist-turned-political-analyst Eli Nissan told The Media Line the request for a meeting was timely, saying the meeting would focus on the recent escalation and an attempt to calm things down, especially in Jerusalem, because “Jordan has a special and strong relationship with the Palestinians.”

The Jordanian king has the ability to pressure Abbas to move more forcefully to instruct Palestinian security to work on stopping Palestinian operations

“There are efforts by Lapid to calm things down before the holidays and before the loss of control and a chaotic security situation,” says Nissan.

He says Hamas and Islamic Jihad are trying to “inflame matters in the West Bank ahead of the Jewish holidays, and the Palestinian Authority is unable to control matters.”

Israel’s military and security forces have stepped up their operations in the West Bank, carrying out nightly raids and arresting dozens of Palestinians. Many of these operations are in areas under the Palestinian Authority’s control and have triggered frequent clashes with residents.

“There are strong relations between the Jordanian king and PA president, and I believe that the Jordanian king has the ability to pressure Abbas to move more forcefully to instruct Palestinian security to work on stopping Palestinian operations,” says Nissan.

There have been nightly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces. The Israeli military, Rantawi says, is weakening and undermining the Palestinian Authority.

“Israel does not want to give the authority an element of power to present to its people and public. Israel acts as if the PA is a security arm of the occupation.”

“Nonsense,” says Nissan. “Let me tell you that this is rubbish! The Israeli army entered Palestinian cities after a wave of attacks that took place in several Israeli cities. When the Palestinian Authority is unable to carry out its duties, it is natural for the Israeli army to intervene.”

We are coming to a wave of confrontations if the tensions and escalation are not controlled

The PA is convinced that the state of weakness it is experiencing is mainly caused by continued Israeli army raids and the lack of movement on the political track. Rantawi accuses Israel of trying to marginalize President Abbas and transforming his security force into an entity whose main function is to suppress its people and protect the settlements and settlers.

“The Palestinian street can no longer tolerate the daily Israeli aggression, including arrests, killings of Palestinians, and violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

He warns that if the tension isn’t subsided soon, things will get out of hand.

“We are coming to a wave of confrontations if the tensions and escalation are not controlled,” Rantawi said.

Since the beginning of the year, at least 90 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in nightly raids carried out by Israeli security forces in cities, towns, and villages, making it the deadliest year since 2016. Attacks killed 19 Israelis between mid-March and the beginning of May, and an Israeli army officer was killed in an exchange of gunfire near Jenin last week.

Palestinians say more than 2,000 people were arrested in these raids and incursions, while the Israeli army claims it succeeded in thwarting hundreds of attacks.

East Jerusalem’s holy sites are considered a red line for Jordan; the Hashemites see themselves as the rightful guardians of both Islamic and Christian holy sites. For that reason, Nissan explains, Lapid is seeking the king’s intervention.

“King Abdullah has sway in everything related to Al-Aqsa Mosque. I believe there will be Jordanian efforts and steps to calm the situation.”

According to Jordanian sources, the king’s speech at the UN General Assembly will mention the two-state solution and ending the occupation and will emphasize the Hashemite’s guardianship over the Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem.

The last meeting between the Israeli prime minister and Jordanian king was in Amman in July, and the two seem to have a good working relationship. This stands in stark contrast to the frosty relationship between Abdullah and former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

“After Lapid ascended to power in Israel, the Jordanian king’s relationship with Israel’s new prime minister was remarkable compared to the relationship he had with Netanyahu,” says Nissan.

In November, Israel will hold its fifth elections in about four and a half years, and the prospect of a return of former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is high.

Jordan will not be comfortable if Netanyahu manages to form an Israeli government

Rantawi says Amman prefers to see Lapid remain in power.

“Jordan will not be comfortable if Netanyahu manages to form an Israeli government,” Rantawi says. “The Jordanian-Israeli relationship was not in the best condition under Netanyahu’s premiership.”

The Media Line has been leading for more than twenty years in pioneering the American independent news agency in the Middle East, arguably the first in the region. We have always stayed true to our mission: to provide you with contextual sourced and trustworthy news. In an age of fake news masquerading as journalism, The Media Line plays a crucial role in providing fact-based news that deserves your support. We're proud of the dozens of young students we've trained in our Press and Policy Student Program who will form the vanguard of the next generation of journalists to the benefit of countless millions of news readers.