One of the U.S.'s closest Mideast allies, Jordan, has been hit by demonstrations that, according to some analysts, have spilled over into a serious threat to the Hashemite Kingdom with open declarations of support for the Hamas terrorist organization.
Jordan’s government has been one of the most vocal opponents of Israel’s war to root out Hamas terrorists from Gaza after the jihadi movement slaughtered 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including many Americans.
Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi declared in November that "Hamas is an idea and ideas do not die." Jordan’s Queen Rania cast doubt in a CNN interview on whether Hamas really committed atrocities on Oct. 7. Veteran experts on Jordan view King Abdullah II and his inner circle as contributing, directly and indirectly, to the unrest that could potentially dislodge his regime.
The former Israeli ambassador to Jordan, Jacob Rosen, told Fox News Digital that "Jordan is walking on a very tight rope. The authorities let the Muslim Brotherhood under whatever cover they operate to voice out their message, but they disperse any demonstrations [that]] may go ‘wrong’ or to turn against the government itself."
Rosen, who speaks fluent Arabic and is a leading expert on the Hashemite Kingdom, added that Jordan "operates for some years a military hospital in Gaza, which has no choice but to be in contact with whoever is in control there. There is also a sizable contingent of Gazans in Jordan (at least 300,000), which has to be considered."
"Parallel to that, the minister of foreign affairs, Ayman Safadi, has a free hand with anti-Israeli rhetoric accusing Israel of genocide and warning against ethnic cleansing. But in any case, Jordan cannot condemn Hamas directly but let some publicists or ex-ministers to do that."
Last week, protesters chanted, "We are your men, Sinwar." Yehya Sinwar is the Hamas mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack and is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s vast underground tunnel system. (Read More)
