Israel–Jordan relations
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Israel–Jordan relations refers to diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between Jordan and Israel. The two countries have had official diplomatic relations since the 1994 signing of the Israel–Jordan peace treaty. Jordanian King Abdullah views Israel as a vital regional ally in the Middle East.[1]
History
1948-1994
The relationships between Jewish leaders in Israel and the Hashemite dynasty in the area was characterized by ambivalence as both parties' prominence grew in the area. Jordan consistently subscribed to an anti-Zionist policy, but made decisions pragmatically. Several factors are cited for this relative pragmatism. Among these are the two countries' geographic proximity, King Hussein's Western orientation, and Jordan's modest territorial aspirations. Nevertheless, a state of war existed between the two countries from 1948 until the treaty was signed.
Memoirists and political analysts have identified a number of "back-channel" and at times clandestine communications between the two countries, often resulting in limited accommodations even during times of war.
After the Fedayeen attacks from Jordan decreased after Israel's victory in the 1956 Suez War, the tense relations between Israel and Jordan following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war eased. In the 1967 Six Day War, Jordan aligned itself with Nasser's Egypt despite an Israeli warning. This resulted in the loss of East Jerusalem and the West Bank to Israel. This was an economic loss to the kingdom since much of the kingdom's economy was based in the West Bank.
In 1970 King Hussein waged the war of Black September against the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), eventually ejecting the organization and thousands of Palestinians, who threatened Hussein's rule. During Black September, Syrian troops invaded the kingdom, threatening to further destabilize the regime. In response, the Israeli Air Force made a series of overflights over the Syrian forces, prompting them to return to Syria.
The war against the PLO factions may have strengthened the connections between Israel and Jordan. Some claim that Mossad warned Hussein about a Palestinian assassination attempt and that Hussein warned Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in a clandestine face-to-face meeting about Egyptian and Syrian threats prior to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Hussein's intention was to stay out of the war.
In 1987 Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein tried to secretly arrange a peace agreement in which Israel would concede the West Bank to Jordan. The two signed the "Peres-Hussein London Agreement", defining a framework for a Middle Eastern peace conference. The proposal was not consummated due to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s objection. The following year Jordan abandoned its claim for the West Bank in favor of a peaceful resolution between Israel and the PLO.[2]
Israel-Jordan peace treaty
Peace negotiations between Israel and Jordan began in 1994. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres informed King Hussein that after the Oslo Accords with the PLO, Jordan might be "left out of the big game". Rabin, Hussein and Clinton signed the Washington Declaration in Washington, DC, on July 25, 1994. The Declaration says that Israel and Jordan ended the official state of enmity and would start negotiations in order to achieve an "end to bloodshed and sorrow" and a just and lasting peace.[3]
On October 26, 1994, the governments of Jordan and Israel signed a historic peace treaty. The treaty normalized relations between the two countries and resolved territorial disputes, such as water sharing.[4] The conflict had cost roughly US$18.3 billion. The treaty was closely linked with the efforts to create peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The signing ceremony occurred at the southern border crossing of Arabah, and made Jordan only the second Arab country, after Egypt, to normalize relations with Israel.
In 1996 the two nations signed a trade treaty. As part of the agreement, Israel assisted in establishing a modern medical center in Amman.
Today
Since the beginning of 2010 and the discovery of uranium under Jordan's soil, the government of Jordan had been seeking permission from international governments to produce nuclear fuel for use in Jordanian power plants. The government of Israel made clear to Washington its objection to Jordan's nuclear energy program citing the unstable political nature of the Middle East. In light of Israeli objection the request for United States approval was denied.[5]
In a meeting with the Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs in Canada, Jordanian King Abdullah noted that Israel, which he recognizes as a vital regional ally, has been highly responsive to requests by Abdullah to resume direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.[1]
In 2013, Israel facilitated Jordanian trade with Iraq and Turkey by allowing goods to be transported by truck via the Jordan River Crossing near Beit She'an. The goods are taken to Haifa Port and shipped from there to Iraq and Turkey.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Centre Leadership Meets With King Abdullah". The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs. September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ↑ Kifner, John (August 1, 1998). "Hussein surrenders claims on west bank to the P.L.O.". New York Times.
- ↑ "The Washington Declaration". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. July 25, 1994. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
- ↑ Susskind, Lawrence; Shafiqul Islam (2012). "Water Diplomacy: Creating Value and Building Trust in Transboundary Water Negotiations". Science & Diplomacy 1 (3).
- ↑ Bar'el, Zvi (July 7, 2010). "Who's Afraid of the Jordanian Atom?". Haaretz.
- ↑ Iraqi goods travel to Turkey via Israel
External links
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