Current Middle Eastern sources are reporting that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries, and Palestinian Authority are secretly drafting a UN Security Council outline that would grant the Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders of the West Bank and Gaza strip, in addition to Jerusalem as its capital.


Perhaps Jordan’s public policy should take into consideration this outline thoroughly since it is a noteworthy moderate country that should be part of discussions regarding this outline. As it was always a reliable member of the “Moderate group”.


According to the reports, these countries are working under tight wraps using different tactics to avoid any US and Israel grave reactions which anticipate this plot.


Hence, this might push mandatory plots of International powers upon Jordan, a one-sided alliance country which depends heavily on these states, US in particular.


For now, Jordan’s foreign policies should foresee a political outline that would enable it to exploit its sources and become more influential. Certainly, there are several options that could include making new alliances and establishing strategic bilateral ties starting by Turkey and Euro-Mediterranean countries.


Jordan’s politicians and decision makers should keep in mind the words of Uzi Arad, Chairman of the Israeli National Security Council, on the two-state solution:

“I don’t think that one has to go that far because at the end of the day, I don’t think the majority of Israelis want to see themselves responsible for the Palestinians. We do not want to control the Palestinian population. It’s unnecessary. What we do want is to care for our borders, for the Jewish settlements and for areas which are unpopulated and to have our security interests served well. But also to take under our responsibility these populations which, believe me, are not the most productive on earth, would become a burden. We want to relieve ourselves of the burden of the Palestinian populations - not territories. It is territory we want to preserve, but populations we want to rid ourselves of”.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s public policy ought to divert towards more translucent acts, target audience, national and international public. With uprising tension, the moment mandatory solutions are imposed; the risks would be massive especially when it comes to Jordan’s classic scenarios, options and solutions which rest in Israeli political discussions, press and studies. Moreover, some proclaim unhesitatingly that Jordan’s solution stands always here plain and Israelis know it and throughout the Middle East Arab leaders acknowledge its merit - always privately.

Israeli political mass awaits a solution by October; unsurprisingly Netanyahu is in favor of the two-state solution that would be based on the allocation of sovereignty of the West Bank between Israel and Jordan - a de facto position that existed within 1948-1967.

Till October, there wouldn’t be a parliament in Jordan but even if there was one, it would unlikely consider mandatory proposals in legislation. What Jordanians might fear, is the continuous Israeli rejection of the two-state solution backed by Arab countries, international community and particularly USA.

Moreover, Jordan’s sovereignty could encounter a real threat if a change in favor of the population of Palestinian origin occurred, rendering Jordanians from the eastern bank of the Jordan River a minority in the kingdom especially since Israeli plots always focus on the demographical status.

Therefore, Jordan’s government should mull over two significant issues; comprising no mandatory laws that could serve any agenda, and restructuring our foreign policy to secure Jordan a spot among new alliances and options which would make Jordan’s diplomacy balanced and stable according to the “Zero Problems with Neighbors” strategy and in this case also “non Neighbors”.

Such policy would deepen Jordan’s role in international politics with its balance of power and politics beholding that traditional measures, sources of power; those conventional, nuclear and military along with alliances might lose their relevance in the world of politics.

It is time to restore what we already have lost due to unilateral alliance policy which downsized the Jordanian role in the regional political scenario.


Dr. Amer Al Sabaileh

http://amersbaileh.blogspot.com