With the changing Mideast tide shifting towards being openly anti-Israel; it appears the Jordan’s King Abdullah II feels compelled to join in rather than risking being viewed as too close an ally of Israel. It is entirely possible that he has decided to follow Turkey’s lead, albeit on a significantly lower diplomatic level. Abdullah may be trying to play both sides of the fence [for now] pending his decision, not wishing to alienate Israel but on the other hand, not wishing to appear as the only remaining staunch Arab ally of the Jewish State.

For all intensive purposes, Israel and Jordan enjoy agreements, a state of non-war that permits tourism and trade as well as a border that is not considered hostile, as is not the case today in the north (Lebanon and Syria) and the south (Hamastine/Gaza).

Interestingly, the king distanced himself from the position of his late father King Hussein, and his father, both always proudly exclaiming “Jordan is Palestine”. He called such a position a policy “for the weak”. In short, Abdullah wants nothing to do with the PA (Palestinian Authority) and therefore, he remains a strong advocate of a Palestinian state in Eretz Yisrael, a reality that would alleviate this problem for him. “Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine” he emphasized.

The Jordanian monarch released a statement that the soon-to-be State of Palestine and Jordan are stronger than Israel, and as such, “It is the Israeli who is scared today”.

Abdullah stressed his country’s support for Palestinian rights and statehood, adding “we will defend its rights” and also support the Palestinian effort towards statehood with Jerusalem serving as its capital.

The monarch also called for the Palestinian right of return and fair compensation for those expelled from their homes as a result of the creation of the State of Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)