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Jordan to the West Bank, Egypt to Gaza

by Daniel Pipes
Wed, 27 Jul 2005
updated Tue, 25 Dec 2007

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In retrospect, it was but for an extended blink of the eye that Jordanian and Egyptian forces ruled, respectively, the West Bank and Gaza in from 1948-49 until their expulsion by Israeli forces in 1967. Amman annexed the West Bank in 1950 but finally in 1988 gave up its claim to this land. Cairo never did claim Gaza. For decades now, it has appeared that their presence in those two regions was an accident of history and that Palestinian nationalism had permanently replaced it.

Well, not quite. As the Israeli government gives up on the Palestinians keeping things quiet in the West Bank and Gaza, it is turning to – guess who? – the Jordanians and Egyptians to fill in.

• "West Bank plan eyes Jordanians on patrol": Joshua Mitnick reported in the Washington Times on July 5, 2005 that "Palestinian security chiefs and Jordanian officials are discussing sending a unit of the Jordanian military to the West Bank to boost stability after Israel's withdrawal." The troops in question would be approximately 1,500 soldiers of the Badr Brigade, which is composed of Jordanian citizens of Palestinian origin. They would most likely be deployed near Jenin. The Palestinian Authority claims they would be under its authority.
• "Mofaz: IDF plans to leave Philadelphi route in October": Amos Harel reports in Ha'aretz that "The Israel Defense Forces is planning to withdraw from the Philadelphi route along the Gaza-Egypt border in October, according to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz. Mofaz told Channel 1 Tuesday that Israel has already decided to leave the area." Talks with the Egyptian government should lead to agreement on the final details of a deal, "whereby 750 Egyptian police officers will be deployed on the western side of the Philadelphi route."

Comments: (1) For a fuller discussion of this topic, see Dan Diker and Pinchas Inbari, "Are There Signs of a Jordanian-Palestinian Reengagement?" (2) The return of Jordan and Egypt expose the hollowness of Palestinian nationalism, an ideology still well under a century old. (3) Seeing what a disaster Palestinians have made of autonomy, perhaps Jordanian and Egyptian rule should be welcome. (July 27, 2005)

May 31, 2007 update: According to Ilene R. Prusher, writing on this theme in the Christian Science Monitor, "the idea of the Palestinian territories – at least the West Bank – rejoining the Hashemite Kingdom to form some kind of confederation seems to be gaining traction on both sides of the Jordan River."

July 10, 2007 update: "Growing Talk of Jordanian Role in Palestinian Affairs" is the title of the New York Times article. One characteristic quote, spoken in Baqaa, a "refugee" camp on the outskirts of Amman, by one Muhammad Khalil:

Everything has been ruined for us ­ we've been fighting for 60 years and nothing is left. It would be better if Jordan ran things in Palestine, if King Abdullah could take control of the West Bank. The issue would be over if Jordan just took control.

July 12, 2007 update: Talk of a Jordanian role on the West Bank could become operational. Yedi`ot Aharonot reports that Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering Mahmoud Abbas' request to approve the entry of the "Badr Division" of the Jordanian army, made up of Palestinians, to the West Bank, to help preserve his control there.

Related Topics: Arab-Israel conflict & diplomacy, Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians

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