Trump’s peace plan is an existential threat to Jordan

Significance

Popular anger in Jordan over the settlements has increased since the publication of US President Donald Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan on January 28, which no longer allows Israeli rule in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be understood as temporary. Despite its deep financial and military dependence on Washington, Amman was forced to follow the Palestinians in immediately rebuffing the proposal.

Impacts

• Jordan’s traditional role as custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites could be threatened, possibly in favour of Saudi Arabia.
• Any undermining of the royal family’s religious authority would weaken its domestic legitimacy.
• The plan’s demand that Jordan enable the deal by policing transit into and out of the West Bank would further stretch scarce resources.