Islamists score big in Jordanian election held in shadow of Gaza war

AMMAN — Jordan’s leading Islamist opposition party has won 31 out of 138 seats in the kingdom’s parliament, tripling its representation in legislative elections dominated by frustration over Israel’s war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), a political offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, came ahead of other parties and factions in the legislature after Tuesday’s vote, but was far from clinching a majority, according to official election results released on Wednesday.

The result is a historic win for the Islamists and their largest representation since the Muslim Brotherhood in 1989 gained 22 out of the 80 seats that existed then.

The IAF had 10 seats in the previous parliament elected in 2020 and 16 seats in the 2016 legislature.

The Islamists had sought to capitalize on growing anger over the ongoing war in Gaza among Jordanians, half of whom are of Palestinian origin. READ MORE