A man sells watermelons at the al-Hussein Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, May 12, 2009. More than 50 percent of the people living in Jordan are of Palestinian origin. (Muhammad Hamed/Reuters)
A homeland ... in Jordan?
Some Israeli lawmakers support a bill declaring an official Palestinian homeland in Jordan.
AMMAN — Israel took cursory steps last week toward declaring Jordan the official Palestinian homeland but, in a backward step for the Arab-Israeli peace process, neglected to discuss the plan with Jordan.
The plan — introduced as a bill in the Knesset and supported by 53 of its 120 members — has led some lawmakers here to push for a severance of diplomatic ties with Israel. Shortly before U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to unveil a new peace plan in a speech in Cairo, the lawmakers have also called for a withdrawal from a 1994 peace treaty.
The bill is now being discussed by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. However, crucially, it lacks the support of many top Israeli officials, and because of the way the Israeli legislature works, it is unlikely to proceed further.
In fact, the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, in an interview on Israel Radio last Wednesday, strongly criticized the proposal, calling it a "baseless hallucination” that would interfere with Jordan’s internal affairs.
Despite this, many in Jordan say just consideration of such a bill sends the wrong message to Amman, which has been pushing to restart the peace progress.
“I don’t believe that the Israeli people want peace,” said Mamdouh Abbadi, a member of the Jordanian parliament. “If it was only extremists [who supported this bill], it would stop after three, or five or 10 members of parliament, not 53."
The idea of making Jordan into a Palestinian homeland is not new for Israel, but similar measures in the past have usually garnered only a limited number of supporters and the idea had remained largely on the fringes among Israel’s far right.
More than 50 percent of those living in Jordan are of Palestinian origin, and some Israelis argue that Jordan already serves as the de facto Palestinian state.
For Israel, designating Jordan as the Palestinian homeland would help alleviate the problem of dealing with West Bank Palestinians.
Yaacov Bar-Siman-Tov, director of the Swiss Center for Conflict Research, Management and Resolution at Hebrew University, said that the recent support for the bill in the Knesset may not indicate support for the idea of Jordan as a Palestinian homeland so much as it reveals Israeli concerns about the viability of a Palestinian state. While the majority of Israelis support a two-state solution, most are also concerned about a potential Palestinian state’s stability, especially amid the split between the Fatah and Hamas governments.
“The idea is that even if there is a Palestinian state it will not be a viable state and one of the options for the future is the question of some kind of consideration between the Palestinian state and Jordan,” said Bar-Siman-Tov.
One wouldn't think there needs to be a bill in Knesset for that. In fact Jordan, or Transjordan, or Tranjordan Palestine WAS part of British Mandate for Palestine that was supposed to be divided into Jewish and Arab homelands.
Cisjordan Palestine (Israel, Judea and Smaria) for Jews, Transjordan Palestine for Arabs. Until, that is the British needed a home for the Hashemite tribes kicked out of Arabia by the Saudis. And, presto, by a mapmaking sleigh-o-hand Transjordan Palestine became Transjordan, then Jordan.
In fact over 75% of people of Transjordan Palestine are Palestinian (the rest are descendants of Hashemite inviders from the south); and it is, properly, a Palestinian homeland.
This is stupid
How about we send all the Mexicans to USA , because USA has a lot of mexicans??
Recent on Jordan:
So then Naomi Watts turns to me and says...
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - November 2, 2009 06:42 ET
My day as an extra on the set of "Fair Game," a film about the Valerie Plame affair.
Jordan: not just a pretty film set
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - November 2, 2009 06:40 ET
Spielberg saw its potential early: Now a new Hollywood generation is turning up in Amman.
Jordan tech sector taking off
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - October 24, 2009 09:37 ET
It's no Silicon Valley, but in the Arab world the desert kingdom has become something of a techie's mecca.
Meet the economic gangsters
Mark Scheffler - Commerce - August 12, 2009 09:03 ET
Economic gangsters come in all shapes and sizes — they're Asian dictators and Somali pirates.
Quietly, the Mideast goes nuclear
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - June 24, 2009 05:38 ET
As the world focuses on Iran's nuclear program, many Mideast countries have launched or revived their capabilities.
A homeland ... in Jordan?
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - June 3, 2009 05:55 ET
Some Israeli lawmakers support a bill declaring an official Palestinian homeland in Jordan.
Thriving Jordanian bootleggers "a threat"
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - June 2, 2009 15:49 ET
Jordanian copyright pirates behave not unlike Chicago gangsters during prohibition.
Rock and a hard place
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - May 29, 2009 14:32 ET
Jordanian heavy metal bands find the public ill-informed about their music.
The Arab media's problems
Tom Fenton - Worldview - May 19, 2009 11:34 ET
Opinion: Censorship of the media limits chances for better government in the Middle East.
Jordanian tourism seeks papal blessing
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - May 9, 2009 13:48 ET
Amman, long ignored as a Holy Land stopover, is determined to capitalize on Pope Benedict's visit.
Of borders and other divisions
HDS Greenway - Worldview - May 4, 2009 19:23 ET
Opinion: The Arab world needs to stop banning books and movies about Jews.
How to shoo off a Jordanian jinn
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - April 30, 2009 17:06 ET
Doctors and CEOs are among those "possessed" who seek exorcist Mohammed al-Yafawi's help.
The exorcism
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - April 30, 2009 17:05 ET
Obama's first meeting with an Arab leader
Tom A. Peter - Jordan - April 21, 2009 19:04 ET
King Abdullah of Jordan comes to Washington to push for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
The madness of George
Michael Moran - Worldview - April 20, 2009 09:09 ET
Opinion: What this week's torture memos say about "Justice."
New space for politics
Jane Arraf - Iraq - March 25, 2009 14:43 ET
As the smoke clears on Iraq's provincial election, and results point to a win by incumbent Maliki, uncertainty remains.
For Which It Stands: Iraq
Jane Arraf - Iraq - March 25, 2009 14:40 ET
Iraqis understand what Americans do not.
Watch GlobalPost videos:
Reporter's Notebook
When it comes to big news stories from the Middle East, Jordan is usually on the sidelines. This past month, however, has proved an exception...Read more >
Abuse of migrant workers has long been an issue in the Middle East, however, a rather extreme case has been making headlines in Jordan. The...Read more >
I couldn't help but wonder if I'd provoked some bad karma this afternoon when I signed online to see that the story I'd written about being delayed...Read more >
Featured: Special Projects
After the Fall:
20 years since the Berlin Wall came down
Life, Death and the Taliban:
Videos and stories
Study Abroad:
Students report from the road
Living in the Shadows:
An intimate look at China's migrant workers
A World of Trouble:
The global economy in 20 hotspots
Global Blogs:
Comments:
2 Comments.
Login or Register to post comments