Excerpts: Jordan-Israel vital ties October 27, 2014

+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 27 Oct.’14:”Jordan and Israel: 20 years of troubled
but vital ties”, Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: Jordan – Israel vital ties

QUOTE:”Israel ambassador to Jordan:’Jordan os an island of stability and
moderation in this unstable region and we could not ask for a better
neighbor’ “

FULL TEXT:OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Twenty years after Israel signed a historic
peace treaty with Jordan, the pact — deeply unpopular among Jordanians — is
a strategic partnership both sides are determined to protect, experts say.

In the two decades since the October 26, 1994 accord, the frosty
relationship has survived numerous tests, mostly from the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Although the treaty remains a source of public chagrin in Jordan, the
relationship has been quietly strengthened as both countries face up to
rising Islamist extremism across the Middle East.

David Schenker, head of the Arab politics programme at the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel and Jordan both viewed jihadist
outfits "the same way", including the Islamic State group that controls
large parts of Syria and Iraq.

"It necessarily drives these countries closer together, just like it has
driven Egypt and Israel closer together," he said.

"They recognise that the closer the intelligence relationship is, the closer
the military relationship is, [and] security for both countries will be
stronger."

In spite of shared security concerns, Israel's conflict with the
Palestinians — historically the pact's largest sticking point — still forms
a barrier to closer ties with Jordan, experts said.

The deal has been sorely tested in recent months after the Israeli army's
killing of a Jordanian judge and a bloody 50-day war in Gaza where nearly
2,200 Palestinian died, mostly civilians.

There has also been growing concern over Israel’s actions at Al Aqsa Mosque
compound in Jerusalem, where Jordan’s status as custodian is enshrined in
the peace treaty.

“The major problem from the Jordanian side is that as long as there is no
comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, [Amman] finds it
very difficult politically to go into full normalisation,” Oded Eran, former
Israeli ambassador to Amman and now a senior research fellow at Israel’s
Institute for National Security Studies, told AFP.

On Monday[27 Oct.], His Majesty King Abdullah said the Middle East was
suffering from “Zionist extremism” as well as the threat posed by Islamic
extremists.

“Israel is still considered an enemy,” said veteran Jordanian lawmaker
Khalil Attieh, who once burned an Israeli flag in Parliament.

“It is still occupying Palestinian land, still violating the peace treaty by
the assaults on Al Aqsa, still killing innocent Palestinians and destroying
their homes. It is still building settlements,” he told AFP.

Palestinian question

Jordanian-Israeli relations first soured in 1996 when rightwing hardliner
Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected as prime minister, now serving his
third term in office, and took a further nosedive a year later when a
Jordanian soldier shot dead seven Israeli schoolgirls.

In the same year, the relationship reached breaking point after a botched
attempt by Israel’s Mossad spy agency to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled
Mishaal in Amman.

Ties were further strained by the violence of the second Palestinian
Intifada (2000-2005), the 2006 Lebanon war and three bloody conflicts in
Gaza, all of which inflamed public opinion in Jordan and provoked a series
of angry statements from Amman.

Beyond the headlines, however, Israel and Jordan have a relationship neither
wants to sacrifice, says Schenker.

‘Not popular, makes sense

Although bilateral trade between Israel and Jordan is meagre — worth only
$365 million in 2013 — the regional crisis has played a role in improving
economic ties after Sinai militants sabotaged Amman’s supply of natural gas
from Egypt.

The move paved the way for a planned $15 billion deal for Israel to supply
Jordan’s natural gas needs over 15 years.

“This gas deal is the clearest sign that the Kingdom is strong in its ties
with Israel and that their relations will only become closer,” Schenker
said. “It is not popular but it makes sense for the Kingdom and demonstrates
the degree to which the relationship is solid.”

For Daniel Nevo, Israel’s current ambassador to Jordan, there is still some
way to go.

“The relationship is in a good place, there is a lot more to improve. It’s
not an ideal situation but we definitely have taken some steps in the right
direction,” he told Israeli army radio on Thursday[23 Oct].

“Jordan is an island of stability and moderation in this unstable region and
we could not ask for a better neighbour


Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA