Prof. Dr. Haytham Eloqayli

President Trump’s remarks about relocating Palestinians to Jordan have sparked widespread feelings of anxiety, shock, and popular rejection. These statements revived fears of the "alternative homeland" proposal, which Jordanians firmly oppose for cultural, political, and social reasons, outlined below:

1. Historical and Cultural Legacy: Jordanians pride themselves on inheriting a profound cultural legacy rooted in their land. This legacy spans from the domestication of animals—which transformed humans from hunter-gatherers to herders and farmers—to the discovery of the earliest known loaf of bread in northeastern Al-Mafraq, the first religious-artistic expressions (Ain Ghazal statues) symbolizing human settlement and material security. Jordan is also home to the first documented mention of Arabs, when King Jundub confronted the Assyrians around 700 BCE. This legacy continued through the Nabatean civilization, the kingdoms of Bashan, Gilead, and Ammon, and pivotal Arab-Islamic battles like Mu’tah and Yarmouk, which reshaped the region. The Umayyad dynasty’s consolidation of power, the Abbasid Caliphate’s rise from Al-Humayma, and the evolution of the Arabic script from Nabataean to its modern form further cement Jordan’s historical role and the construction of the earliest water dam in Jawa few hundred years BCE. Jordanians proudly carry this heritage as a universal human message.

2. Ottoman Era and State Formation: During Ottoman rule, Jordan’s tribes resisted forced taxation and conscription, with some adopting nomadic lifestyles to preserve their oral Bedouin culture. This heritage remains integral to Jordanian identity. The modern Jordanian state emerged under Hashemite leadership, deriving legitimacy from Prophet Muhammad’s lineage and a history of resisting oppression and occupation.

3. Post-WWII International Order: Jordanians believe the post-World War II global system, established by major powers led by the U.S., guarantees the permanence of state borders and populations. Altering these forcibly would undermine the international order. Thus, Jordan built alliances with the West, positioning itself as a "bridge for peace" between East and West.

4. Moderate Model Under Threat: Jordan’s longstanding approach—embracing dialogue, rejecting violence, and fostering cross-cultural understanding—faces a crisis. Trust in its alliances with Britain and later the U.S. is eroding, as these relationships were founded on mutual respect, peace building, and countering extremism.

5. Middle East’s Unique Context: The region’s historical, cultural, and religious specificity cannot be reduced to power or short-term interests. Any Arabic populations coerced into accepting displacement would bear the shame of complicity in erasing a just cause, committing cultural and social suicide which Jordanians and there leadership cannot carry.

6. U.S. Responsibility and Consequences: As a guarantor of the global order, Jordanians believe that the USA should resolve conflicts, not exacerbate them. Forced relocation would disrupt stable fragile Jordan demographics, ignite unnecessary conflicts, and erode trust in America—both officially and among Arab publics—sending a message to the people of the Arab world that alliances with the U.S. are unreliable.

Conclusion: Relocating Palestinians to Jordan would destabilize the region’s cultural and social equilibrium, implying international decisions are irrelevant to solutions. Imposing an unjust resolution on Palestinians at Jordan’s expense undermines trust in the U.S. and signals to Arab citizens that alliances with America are fleeting. This risks long-term damage to regional stability and global credibility specially to Jordanian people and elites who consider themselves a partner and alliance with the west .