Are Jordan’s government and pro-Palestinian protesters facing off?
While the number of protesters has ebbed and flowed throughout the war, the recent Israeli military campaign on al-Shifa Hospital and the pending invasion of Rafah has brought many Jordanians back to the streets en masse.
Protesters’ demands may vary, though one Jordanian researcher monitoring the protests told Al Jazeera that there are some primary asks, including suspending normalisation with Israel, reconsidering ties with the United States, and cancelling other energy, gas, or trade deals with Israel. ⠀
So far, the protests have been overwhelmingly focused on Gaza and Palestine. Frustrations with the monarchy have not manifested calls for regime change, analysts said. But the understanding that ensured older generations of Jordanians avoided criticism of King Abdullah seems to have thawed for this new generation, the activist said. ⠀
“I would be looking for policy changes in Jordan’s stance toward the Jordanian relationship with Israel,” Elizabeth Parker-Magyar, a PhD candidate in comparative politics and political methodology at MIT with a focus on Jordan.
“And I think the Jordanian government will be looking for a concession it can give, or an attempt to renegotiate these positions to that extent that it can in order to placate protesters.”
