Jordan: New anti-Israel opposition party formed
Opposition Islamists and leftists have united to form a new party in Jordan, the National Reform Front (nrf). Ostensibly established for the purpose of fighting corruption, the new party may have a more dangerous agenda, judging by its political platform. This may be an indication that Jordan’s traditional good relations with Israel are about to sour.
Former Jordanian Prime Minister Ahmad Obeidat unveiled the vision of the new party as outlined in a reform document on May 22 at a press conference in Amman. Part of the nrf’s program relating to security and foreign policy states: “[T]here is a clear and present danger from the Zionist state which is a significant challenge, as it targets Jordan just as it has targeted Palestine.”
However successful this new opposition group is, it indicates a hardening of Jordanians’ attitudes toward Israel—and could well influence the country’s future foreign policy and bring it more in line with that of other, more hostile Arab states.
Jordan’s stance on the Palestinian question has hardened recently. Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh recently told Reuters that a Palestinian state must be established based on the 1967 lines. “We in Jordan are not just an observer in this,” he said. “It is the supreme Jordanian national interest to see this independent Palestinian state established on Palestinian soil.” He also praised the reconciliation between rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas. On a bbc program on May 22, King Abdullah criticized Israel for ruling out negotiations with a Palestinian leadership that included Hamas.
Columnist Robert Morley wrote last week that Saudi Arabia is reaching out to Jordan to join the Gulf Cooperation Council—another indication that Jordan may soon be more closely allied with countries more hostile to Israel.
These moves may reflect the sentiment on the Jordanian street. Jordanians took part in a violent anti-Israel demonstration last month on the Palestinian “Nakba Day,” and a few days later, on May 20, a pro-reform protest in Jordan turned into an anti-Israel event as demonstrators called for an end to the country’s peace treaty with Israel. Protests occurred in Amman and elsewhere, including one protest near the Israeli Embassy, with protesters calling for the embassy to be shut down. Another anti-Israel rally was held Sunday in the Jordan Valley.
Bible prophecy reveals that Jordan will be part of an alliance of Arab states in the end time that will join forces with Germany against Israel. As such, we can expect Jordan’s relations with Israel to become more strained in the months ahead. Read “A Mysterious Prophecy” for the details of this prophecy.
