Jerusalem’s refusal to extend a water agreement with Amman until it changes its rhetoric on Israel will likely be interpreted by Amman as a “stab in the back” after the support Jordan gave to Israel during the Iran war, Dr. Ronen Yitzhak, an expert in Israeli-Jordanian relations from the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The 1994 peace treaty signed by Amman and Jerusalem required Israel to supply Jordan with 50 million cubic meters of water annually, an amount doubled in a commitment made in 2021 which expired in 2025.
After a series of extensions, Jerusalem conditioned the resumption of supply on Amman softening its rhetoric on Israel and on the thawing of relations, which grew increasingly hostile over the course of the Israel-Hamas war. Yitzhak said the disagreement “reflects the political crisis between the countries,” but added that the issue was not surprising given Amman’s “fear” of Israeli annexation of the West Bank and the potential imposition of sovereignty, including “changing the status quo on the Temple Mount.”
Jordan is furious about Israel’s continued refusal to renew a 2021 water agreement between the two neighbors, the Kan public broadcaster reported Monday. The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan mandates that Jerusalem supply 50 million cubic meters annually to its eastern neighbor. In 2021, during the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government, Israel agreed to double the amount of fresh water it provides to Jordan, one of the world’s most water-deficient countries.
Israel’s reported demands that Amman soften its statements on Jerusalem are being interpreted as “blackmail,” he continued. Should Amman now comply with Israel’s request, it will be seen as “selling support for Palestinians” in exchange for water, an exchange that would be heavily criticized in a country comprised of a population where upwards of 50% are estimated to be of Palestinian origin. (Ed note: Ammon runs his mouth at Israel, then expects the water. Remember, Ammon is northern Jordan in Psalm 83:7. Moab is central Jordan in Psalm 83:6.) (Read More)
