Jordan helped Israel and now its population is outraged – DW – 04/16/2024

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The last weekend, Iran attacked Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles. Neighboring Jordan not only rejected the act, but also shot down Iranian projectiles.

The criticism was almost immediate: “The Jordanian king drops missiles on his citizens to protect Israel,” read a comment from X, formerly Twitter. The tweet, which was accompanied by an image of the remains of a drone in the Jordanian city of Karak, not far from the border with Israel, was later edited. The new version is less critical of the Government, known – like others in the region – for its low tolerance for criticism.

“Jordan following the money, as always,” another comment stated. “It is irresponsible of them (the Government) to shoot down missiles over their own cities,” added another.

Hoaxes were also spread on the networks. Some messages accused the Jordanian king and his daughter of being personally involved in the conflict. Others pointed out that some Jordanians had died after burning debris fell on them. And, although it is true that devices fell in Jordanian territory, the Government did not report any deaths or injuries.

Outrage over support for Israel

Beyond the misinformation, the hypocrisy of the Government is criticized, which condemned Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip, called for a ceasefire and said he supported the Palestinian cause, and then helped Israel defend itself against Iran. Popular indignation is directed mainly against Jordan, but also against the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

One in five people in Jordan, including the queen, is of Palestinian descent, so this cause is in the hearts of many. For this reason, many see Jordanian military cooperation as a betrayal.

“I am very upset by how Jordan has defended Israel,” said Hussein, an activist who did not reveal his full name for fear of government retaliation. “Many people here do not accept it. We do not support Iran and we also see it as one of the main causes of what is happening in Gaza. But we support any action that dissuades Israel from continuing to act as it has done in Gaza,” he explained. .

“It was a difficult night,” said Maryam, a university student from the capital Amman, who lives near one of the areas where the debris fell and who also did not reveal her full name. “Iran is not popular in Jordan in general. But I reject Jordan’s interception of Iranian missiles and its inadvertent involvement in this war,” she added.

Government talks about self-defense

In a statement, the Government stressed that it had acted in self-defense, intercepting objects that entered Jordanian airspace because “they posed a threat to our population and populated areas.”

Mahmoud Ridasat, a retired senior officer and military expert, also told DW in Amman that the events of the weekend cannot “be framed, in any way, as a defense of Israel.” It was, “rather, about the defense of Jordanian sovereignty and airspace.” You never know where a drone or missile is going to land, he warned. And he described Israeli media reports celebrating Jordanian cooperation as “Israeli propaganda.”

It is difficult to predict whether Jordan’s involvement in Israel’s defense will spark more protests in the country: it depends on how repressive the regime reacts, according to analysts. Image: Laith Al-jnaidi/Anadolu/picture alliance

Defense agreements with the US

Jordan has more ties with USA and Israel than is reported in the country and many believe, senior analyst Tahani Mustafa, Palestine expert at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, told DW. And she remembers that there is a cooperation agreement between both countries in defense matters, signed in 2021, bypassing parliamentary approval.

The pact, highly questioned by Jordanian activists, allows US forces, vehicles and aircraft to move freely through Jordan. In 2023, a US Congressional report noted that the agreement “formalizes years of military cooperation between the US and Jordan, which became most visible at the beginning of operations against Islamic State“.

“But, it was only when the first Gaza protests started that many people started saying that Jordan should kick out the Americans,” Mustafa adds.

Jordan wants to “avoid regional escalation”

Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, is quite sure that “the Jordanians can justify their actions because drones and missiles were flying through their airspace. The Jordanian response “was more aimed at avoiding a regional escalation than at strengthening any strategic alliance with Israel.”

The Jordanian Government “will continue talking to the Iranians, will continue trying to de-escalate. And if there are more security incidents, if there are more attacks on their airspace, it is likely that the Jordanians will do the same again,” he concludes.

(ju/rml)