The intensive protests in Jordan against the war in Gaza are a source of concern for the Gulf states, which regard them as an attempt by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement and Iran to agitate the masses and ultimately overthrow the Jordanian regime, as well as other regimes in the region.[1]
Since Hamas' October 7, 2023 terror attack in southern Israel and the outbreak of the ensuing war in Gaza, which has been ongoing for six months, Hamas officials, who are supported by the MB and Iran, have been calling on the people of Jordan to escalate the protests in the kingdom and join the fight against Israel by opening a front against it from this country.[2] These calls increased the scope and intensity of the protests, which take place throughout the country but especially in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Amman, where thousands of young men gather every evening to "besiege the embassy building," chanting slogans in praise of Hamas' leaders and against the Jordanian king. Elements close to the MB have also called to stir up popular unrest in other Arab countries that maintain ties with Israel.[3]
Both Jordan and its Arab allies, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Palestinian Authority (PA), accuse Hamas and its patrons – the MB and Iran[4] – of using the war in Gaza to destabilize the Jordanian kingdom, overthrow its regime and even instigate chaos and a new "Arab Spring" in the region. As the protests in the kingdom intensified, Arab leaders stressed that they stand with their ally Jordan. For example, UAE President Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed emphasized, in an April 1 phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah II, that his country stands with Jordan in defending its security and stability.[5]Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman made similar remarks in an April 3 phone call with the Jordanian king, clarifying that Saudi Arabia supports Jordan's efforts to safeguard its stability.[6]PA President Mahmoud Abbas called the king as well, and underscored "the support of the Palestinian leadership and people for the Jordanian kingdom, their objection to every attempt to undermine its security and stability or to exploit the suffering of the Palestinian people in the [Gaza] Strip to harm Jordan, [and their objection to] any foreign intervention in Jordan's affairs."[7]
This complete support for the Jordanian kingdom also found expression in many articles in the Saudi and Emirati press. An editorial of the Emirati daily Al-Khalij underscored that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security, and stated that the protests in the country are not really meant to serve the Palestinian cause but to destabilize the Arab societies. Other articles in the Saudi and Emirati papers attacked the leaders of Hamas, claiming that they are trying to destroy Jordan in order to cover up their defeat in the Gaza war, and warned about a plot by Iran and the MB to precipitate another Arab Spring in the region. Some articles even claimed that targeting Jordan would be regarded by its Arab allies as a declaration of war, and noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE would act to defend the stability of the Jordanian regime.
Protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Amman (Image: alaraby.co.uk, April 2, 2024)
The following are excerpts from these articles in the Saudi and Emirati press:
Editorial In Emirati Daily: The Incitement Harms The Palestinian Cause; The Arab Spring Revolutions Must Not Recur
The April 2 editorial of the daily Al-Khalij stated that the organizations currently fomenting unrest in Jordan do not really care about the Palestinian issue and only want to destabilize Arab societies, and that the experience of the Arab Spring must not repeat itself. It added that the UAE will stand with Jordan in defending its security.
The editorial said: "On the margins of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza, some of the dubious organizations have started trying to exploit the events and use them for purposes that have nothing to do with solidarity with the Palestinian people or with supporting them in stopping this mad war and saving those who have been displaced and harmed by it. The calls of incitement heard in Jordan in the recent days, which are aimed at destabilizing the [Jordanian] kingdom, are proof that evil tongues are trying to sow discord and divert the focus away from support for Palestine towards other directions.
"In a show of solidarity with our sister country [Jordan], [Emirati] President Muhammad bin Zayed Aal Nahyan phoned his brother King Abdullah II bin Hussein and spoke to him about the situation in Jordan, stressing that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security and safeguarding its stability…
"By means of protests that are not innocent, certain local and regional elements are trying to brandish populist slogans against Jordan's position on the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem… When Israel's war on Gaza began, some Arabs began warning about the possible dangers and implications for the regional stability, and they were right. This escalation, which has crossed every line, threatens to cause a deterioration that will end very badly and will benefit the extremist organizations that have no agenda whatsoever except destroying and destabilizing societies. What some of the regional countries experienced several years ago as part of the so-called Arab Spring is not far from [repeating itself]. That bitter experience yielded nothing but chaos and a threat to the foundations of the nation-state. Nor did it liberate Palestine, contrary to the claim of some who infiltrated those events. As a matter of fact, it made things worse. Therefore, this [experience] must not repeat itself. The region will overcome this trouble with determination, and Palestine will triumph one day thanks to the loyalty of the loyal and the wisdom of the honest, not thanks to incitement to chaos and the sowing of destruction."[8]
Saudi Writer: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, And The UAE Will Consider The Targeting Of Jordan As A Declaration Of War
In his column in the Saudi daily Al-Majala, journalist Khaled Al-Ghanami warned that the protests organized by the MB in Jordan are orchestrated by Iran with the aim of overthrowing Jordan's Hashemite regime, and stressed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE will not sit idly by in the face of this danger.
He wrote: "…The riots periodically instigated by the MB in Amman are nothing but early signs of [their intention to] call for a blood-soaked revolution in Jordan against the Hashemite government. The riots that periodically break out in Jordan undoubtedly take place on orders and instructions from Iran, since the ties between Iran and the MB are longstanding…
"If Jordan falls, God forbid, this will not restore Palestine. In fact, it will be a large step towards bringing the Palestinian issue to an unjust end, causing the people of the West Bank to emigrate to the Hashemite kingdom. That is the plan of the so-called resistance axis…
"The moderate axis, represented by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, will not sit idly by, but will regard any targeting of Jordan as a declaration of war… Iran must understand this well, since not all violations are allowed to pass [without response]…"[9]
Saudi Journalist: The Protests In Jordan Herald A New Arab Spring Instigated By Iran And The MB
Journalist Abdallah bin Bjad Al-Otaibi warned in the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat daily that Iran and the MB are exploiting the situation in Gaza to spark riots in Jordan, with the aim of instigating a new Arab Spring in the kingdom and in several other Arab countries.
He wrote: "Graver than the situation in Gaza [itself] is the exploitation of what is happening there by internal and external enemies that are igniting fires in the Arab world. We are witnessing the early signs of a new Arab Spring, manufactured by the same elements, supporters, and agents.
"If the agenda of the destructive Arab Spring that took place more than ten years ago was dictated by the organizations of political Islam, by Iran and by [former U.S. president] Obama, [concealed behind] a thin guise of modern concepts like 'democracy' and 'rights' that soon dissipated… today the agenda [again] has to do with the resistance axis and the political Islam organizations, [and is concealed] under the guise of the Palestinian cause, as it is perceived by the political Islam organizations and by Hamas, not by the Palestinian people and the Arab countries and their peoples. [This guise too] will soon fade away, and the goal of destroying the Arab states will once again be revealed…
"Attempts to instigate new chaos are taking place in more than [one] Arab country… The protests organized in Jordan have changed their goal, replacing the Gaza issue with [an attempt to harm] the Jordanian state, for this is the only country in Al-Sham[10] that, thanks to its strength and unity and the awareness of its leadership, has not succumbed to [the attempts of] the resistance axis to expand into it.
"King Abdullah II warned already at the turn of the millennium about the 'Shi'ite Crescent'[11] and took firm positions against Hamas in Jordan and against the branch of the MB there. Jordan is fighting a bitter war against the sectarian militias trying to invade it along its entire border with Syria and Iraq…
"In spite of its crimes in Gaza, Israel, unlike the U.S., does not underestimate the gravity of Iran's actions in the region, and [Israel's] military attack on the Iranian consulate headquarters in Damascus was another indication of the escalation in the conflict, and it has embarrassed Iran and its supporters in the region. Just as it did not respond to Israel's past attacks on it, Iran will not respond to this direct strike against it and its sovereignty, because it understands the implications this would have. Iran will [therefore] content itself with activating its Sunni and Shi'ite proxies to attack the governments and peoples of the Arab countries.
"The region will never break out of this vicious circle unless it formulates its priorities and [develops] a modern awareness, far from all the fundamentalist and sectarian priorities, so as to promote construction, development and competition to [shape] the future."[12]
Editor Of Saudi Daily: The Anarchy In Jordan Is An MB Plot Serving Iranian Goals; Jordan's Security Is Part Of The Security Of Saudi Arabia
Khaled bin Hamad Al-Malik, chief editor of the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, stated that the MB and behind it Iran are using Jordan's dire economic situation to promote their agenda in the guise of assisting the Palestinian cause. Saudi Arabia, he clarified, will not tolerate the attempts to open a new front in Jordan and will not hesitate to support this kingdom.
He wrote: "The escalating anarchy and violence that Jordan has been witnessing for several days now is a prelude to an obvious plot spearheaded by the terrorist MB in the service of obvious Iranian goals. [Their aim is] to sow chaos in the region again, while using the Palestinian cause to mobilize and politicize the Jordanian public against the king, army, and government – to the benefit of Israel, Iran and the terrorist MB organization…
"This terrorist MB is the one instigating the violence and chaos today, at Iran's behest and while using Jordan's dire economic situation to mobilize its supporters in the guise of [assisting] the Palestinian cause. This is the same method that has been used to sow chaos in the countries of the region since [the Arab Spring in] 2011. The region cannot tolerate any further escalation today, nor [the creation] of another conflict zone… But Iran and its proxy have an interest in instigating protests, riots and anarchy.
"In light of everything that is happening, underestimating the seriousness of the chaos Jordan is currently facing may aggravate the situation and rekindle the bad spirit of Black September.[13] Therefore, the response of the Jordanian security forces must be firm, for this is the way to prevent the recurrence of that tragedy.
"Since the security of the Kingdom of Jordan is part of the security of the Saudi Kingdom, due to the fraternal [relations between them] and their historical and geographic [closeness], Saudi Arabia's well-known position does not allow or tolerate any attempt to drag Jordan [into chaos] or turn it into an arena for dumping the problems of the region. Hence, Saudi Arabia will not hesitate to support every move that the sister-kingdom of Jordan has taken or will take in the future in order to defend its security and sovereignty against anyone trying to hijack the state, or to pressure it or influence its decisions. Moreover, the Saudi leadership, government and people will not hesitate to stand with Jordan, to the extent required by the unfolding developments, since the security and stability of the two kingdoms are one and the same, and cannot be separated."[14]
Prominent Saudi Journalist: Hamas Suffered A Defeat After October 7, So It Is Attempting To Destroy Jordan
Muhammad Al-Sa'ad, a senior writer at a the Saudi Okaz newspaper, wrote that, following Hamas' failure after its October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel and its haphazard management of the war, it is now shifting focus to its "plan B," which is to undermine the stability of the Kingdom of Jordan.
He wrote: "It appears the Hamas and its allies have moved on to their 'plan B' for destroying the region, following the failure of their 'plan A' and the painful defeat they suffered after October 7… After this adventure, Gaza might be wiped off the face of the Earth, and the Israeli military has begun to patrol its streets and neighborhoods all by itself, facing no threats. The people in Gaza are either dead, injured or displaced, while [Yahya] Sinwar continues to hide in the tunnels, hostage to his delusions, and [Khaled] Mashal and [Isma'il] Haniya are hidden from sight in regional capitals, negotiating for their [personal] safety and to avoid being prosecuted…
"Hamas is not waging [this war] militarily, and the least that can be said about its actions is that this faction, which controls the fate of 2.5 million Palestinians, is waging an amateur war and taking [the people] with it into a deep abyss…
"It is obvious that Hamas has failed in managing its military campaign, and that it is now surviving in the last part of Gaza [that hasn't been invaded by Israel], as if saying to the world: 'Save us from Israel, lest we all die along with our enemies!' In this manner it wants to create a political exchange deal, particularly with the U.S., based on the protests in the streets of Amman, as if saying: 'Gaza in exchange for Jordan'…
"Setting Jordan on fire and threatening its stability is not a spontaneous act by a group of youths who are zealous about Gaza. The refugee camps [in Jordan] are still the biggest strongholds of support for the MB, and the [current] stirring up of these camps is very similar to the stirring of the events of Black September 50 years ago…
"Hamas's new plan, which has been accepted by regional capitals that support the group, openly demands to extort the West and the Arab world and to send a clear message to regional and international elements that says: Either let us [control] Gaza, or we will seize control of Jordan.
"Hamas may have forgotten Black September, but the Jordanian military hasn't, and it will continue to be patriotic, loyal, and capable of saving Jordan from all the threats it faces."[15]
Emirati Columnist: The Palestinian Cause Is Just An Excuse For Harming Jordan
Emirati journalist Abd Al-Aziz Sultan Al-Ma'amari wrote in his column in the Emirati daily Al-Bayan that the events in Jordan are not coincidental and have nothing to do with Gaza, despite the claims of Hamas and MB supporters. Rather, he said, this is shameful attempt by Hamas and the MB to survive – but Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt are aware of these efforts and have therefore stressed their unwavering support for Jordan.
Al-Ma'amari wrote: "The Emirati, Saudi, and Egyptian support for the political leadership in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in its struggle against the [current] events, which involve violations [of the law], stems from these countries' understanding that these events are motivated by malintent... Drawing a connection between Israel's military operations against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the chaos and schemes against Jordan's national security and security agencies is nothing more than an attempt on the part of organizations with bad intentions to exploit the sympathy [of the masses] in order to incite the streets throughout the Arab [world], and not just in Jordan.
"The Palestinian cause is just, but it is being used as an excuse for political peddling on the part of all those who are exploiting it to realize their goals, which have nothing to do with the just Palestinian cause. This is in fact what is happening in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
"In this war, Jordan has supported the Palestinian cause, and particularly the people of Gaza, more than most Arab countries have. It has taken diplomatic action against the Israeli policy, and it continues to support the Gazans…
"Hence, what is happening in Jordan is not a coincidence, and it is not meant to support the Gazans, despite the slogans of those who are inciting the chaos in Jordan…
"The attempt by the proponents of the ideology that opposes the concept of the nation-state to present themselves as those who are acting in support of the Palestinian people is shameful… It is meant to ensure their 'survival and continuity,' since the circle of the MB, led by Hamas, is shrinking more and more, such that it may choke them in the coming days. This is because their malicious goals and intentions are visible to the public, and their failure to make good on their statements and slogans is clear to anybody with an intellect."[16]
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11251 - Jordanian Regime Furious With Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood: They Are Acting To Foment Chaos In Kingdom In Service Of Iran – April 4, 2024.
[2] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11226, Calls For Terrorist Operations Against Israel From Jordanian Territory – Hamas And Muslim Brotherhood Officials, Clerics Close To Qatar: Jordanians Must Buy Arms And Undergo Military Training; Fighting Jews Is 'Islamic Duty', March 25, 2024.
For example, on March 27 Hamas' military wing, the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, republished a short segment of the statement delivered by Al-Qassam commander Muhammad Deif in which he called on the Jordanians and others to join Hamas' war against Israel (See t.me/qassambrigades, palinfo.com, March 27, 2024). The same day, Khaled Mash'al, Hamas' leader abroad, said that Jordan is "a dear country, the country closest to Palestine, whose men and women are expected to play a role more than others" (See t.me/hamasp, March 27, 2024). Furthermore, in a March 29 meeting in Tehran between Hamas political bureau head Isma'il Haniya and Ziad Al-Nakhaleh, secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the two called "on all the sectors of the nation to expand the circle of challenging the occupation by every legitimate means and to express fury [towards it]," and welcomed "the growing efforts invested [in this] by the people, the religious scholars and the [political] parties in many Arab and Muslim countries, especially in the sister-country Jordan, and the siege imposed on the enemy's embassy [in Amman]" (See T.me/hamasp, March 29, 2024).
[3] For example, the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), which is affiliated with the MB and is supported by Qatar, issued a statement on April 4, calling for "total jihad" and for the Arab countries to exert pressure by holding marches and sit-ins in front of the Israeli embassies during Eid Al-Fitr. See iumsonline.org, April 4, 2024. The Mufti of Libya, Sadiq Al-Ghariani, who is likewise affiliated with the MB, urged the security forces in Jordan and Egypt not to prevent the masses from crossing the border into the West Bank and Gaza (See /twitter.com/TanasuhTV, March 28, 2024; see MEMRI TV Clip No. 10988, " Muslim Brotherhood's Grand Mufti Of Libya, Sadiq Al-Ghariani, Rules: Jordanians And Egyptian Security Forces Are Not Allowed To Stop People From Breaking Through Border Crossings Into Gaza And West Bank; If They Do, They Will Go To Hell," March 27, 2024.
[4] In the recent months there have been growing concerns in Jordan regarding subversive Iranian activity within the kingdom, amid increasing attempts by elements controlled by Iran to smuggle drugs and arms into Jordan over the Syrian border. The January 28 drone attack carried out by Iran-backed militias in Iraq against a U.S. logistics support base in Jordan, in which three U.S. troops were killed, intensified these fears even more. See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1746 - Jordan Increasingly Concerned About Iran Amid Activity Of Iran-Backed Militias On Its Northern Border – February 20, 2024.
[5] Al-ain,com, April 1, 2024.
[6] Alarabiya.net, April 4, 2024.
[7] Wafa.ps, April 2, 2024.
[8] Al-Khalij (Saudi Arabia), April 2, 2024.
[9] Almajalla.com, April 3, 2024.
[10] "Al-Sham" refers to the region north of the Arabian Peninsula which includes Israel, the PA, Lebanon, Syria and parts of Jordan and Iraq.
[11] As early as 2004, King Abdullah warned against Iran's efforts to expand its influence in the region and create a Shi'ite territory stretching from Iran to Lebanon through Iraq and Syria. He dubbed this "the Shiite Crescent." See Washingtonpost.com, December 8, 2004.
[12] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), April 7, 2024.
[13] Al-Malik is referring to the clashes that took place in the early 1970s between the Jordanian military and Palestinian militants operating under the PLO.
[14] Al-Jazirah (Saudi Arabia), April 2, 2024.
[15] Okaz (Saudi Arabia), April 1, 2024.
[16] Al-Bayan (UAE), April 6, 2024.
