Israel Matzav

Jordan exposed

All of you outside of Israel would not believe what the lead headline on the news was when I touched down in Ben Gurion Airport this morning. It seems that last week, Knesset member Aryeh Eldad (pictured) of the National Union party (which is not a member of the coalition) introduced a resolution declaring that the solution to the 'Palestinian problem' lies in Jordan.

Historically, that is correct. Some 70% of Jordan's population is 'Palestinian,' and the land mass that is Jordan constitutes 78% of the original British Mandate for 'Palestine.' In 1921, the Brits cut off that 78% and gave it to the Hashemite family of King Abdullah II (the current King) as a consolation prize for the loss of the custodianship of Mecca and Medina to their cousins, the Saudi royal family, as part of the Treaty of San Remo in 1920. King Abdullah and his family are not 'Palestinians,' but most of their subjects are. More details on the history here.

Even Abdullah must recognize that a 'Palestinian state' is not in his interest, because by definition it would seek to undermine Jordan's sovereignty by reuniting the two banks of the Jordan River. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has suggested doing the same thing, which is why Abdullah opposes him.

But the only thing Abdullah fears more than a 'Palestinian state' to his west is an influx of 'Palestinians' to Jordan. And so, the Jordanian foreign minister summoned Israel's ambassador to his office on Tuesday to seek an explanation why the Knesset 'passed' Eldad's motion with 53 votes in favor of referring it to the Knesset Law Committee, where according to Labor party MK's I heard on the radio this morning, it is to be buried.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh summoned the Israeli ambassador in Amman, Yaakov Rosen, and handed him a protest that "categorically rejects the ongoing discussion at the Israeli Knesset on a proposal by one of its members entitled 'two states for two peoples on the two banks of River Jordan'," a statement carried by the official Petra news agency said.

Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:47 PM