Jordan and Israel: 20 years of troubled but vital ties

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Twenty years after Israel signed a historic peace treaty with Jordan, the pact — deeply unpopular among Jordanians — is a strategic partnership both sides are determined to protect, experts say.

In the two decades since the October 26, 1994 accord, the frosty relationship has survived numerous tests, mostly from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Although the treaty remains a source of public chagrin in Jordan, the relationship has been quietly strengthened as both countries face up to rising Islamist extremism across the Middle East.

David Schenker, head of the Arab politics programme at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel and Jordan both viewed jihadist outfits "the same way", including the Islamic State group that controls large parts of Syria and Iraq.

"It necessarily drives these countries closer together, just like it has driven Egypt and Israel closer together," he said.

"They recognise that the closer the intelligence relationship is, the closer the military relationship is, [and] security for both countries will be stronger."

In spite of shared security concerns, Israel's conflict with the Palestinians — historically the pact's largest sticking point — still forms a barrier to closer ties with Jordan, experts said.

The deal has been sorely tested in recent months after the Israeli army's killing of a Jordanian judge and a bloody 50-day war in Gaza where nearly 2,200 Palestinian died, mostly civilians.

There has also been growing concern over Israel’s actions at Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, where Jordan’s status as custodian is enshrined in the peace treaty.

“The major problem from the Jordanian side is that as long as there is no comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, [Amman] finds it very difficult politically to go into full normalisation,” Oded Eran, former Israeli ambassador to Amman and now a senior research fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told AFP.

On Monday, His Majesty King Abdullah said the Middle East was suffering from “Zionist extremism” as well as the threat posed by Islamic extremists.

“Israel is still considered an enemy,” said veteran Jordanian lawmaker Khalil Attieh, who once burned an Israeli flag in Parliament.

“It is still occupying Palestinian land, still violating the peace treaty by the assaults on Al Aqsa, still killing innocent Palestinians and destroying their homes. It is still building settlements,” he told AFP.

Palestinian question

Jordanian-Israeli relations first soured in 1996 when rightwing hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected as prime minister, now serving his third term in office, and took a further nosedive a year later when a Jordanian soldier shot dead seven Israeli schoolgirls.

In the same year, the relationship reached breaking point after a botched attempt by Israel’s Mossad spy agency to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal in Amman.

Ties were further strained by the violence of the second Palestinian Intifada (2000-2005), the 2006 Lebanon war and three bloody conflicts in Gaza, all of which inflamed public opinion in Jordan and provoked a series of angry statements from Amman.

Beyond the headlines, however, Israel and Jordan have a relationship neither wants to sacrifice, says Schenker.

‘Not popular, makes sense’

Although bilateral trade between Israel and Jordan is meagre — worth only $365 million in 2013 — the regional crisis has played a role in improving economic ties after Sinai militants sabotaged Amman’s supply of natural gas from Egypt.

The move paved the way for a planned $15 billion deal for Israel to supply Jordan’s natural gas needs over 15 years.

“This gas deal is the clearest sign that the Kingdom is strong in its ties with Israel and that their relations will only become closer,” Schenker said. “It is not popular but it makes sense for the Kingdom and demonstrates the degree to which the relationship is solid.”

For Daniel Nevo, Israel’s current ambassador to Jordan, there is still some way to go.

“The relationship is in a good place, there is a lot more to improve. It’s not an ideal situation but we definitely have taken some steps in the right direction,” he told Israeli army radio on Thursday.

“Jordan is an island of stability and moderation in this unstable region and we could not ask for a better neighbour.”