The following is research published today from MEMRI’s Special Dispatch Series, and TV Project. Inquiry and Analysis No. 749—Jordan/Palestinians By: H. Varulkar* In recent weeks, Jordanian officials, including Jordan's King 'Abdallah II, have stepped up their statements against Israel, to the point of threatening military aggression against it. This escalation was in response to statements by Israeli officials describing Jordan as the Palestinian homeland. Also contributing to the tension were WikiLeaks documents published in September, which revealed that Jordan had talked with the U.S. about settling Palestinian refugees on its soil and had inquired about reparations that it had been promised. It should be noted that the notion of Jordan as the "alternative" Palestinian homeland is a highly sensitive issue in the kingdom, and a great source of concern for the Hashemite regime that represents a minority in the country. In response to the Israeli statements, the Jordanian king hurried to harshly attack Israel and the "alternative homeland" idea, clarifying that "Jordan will not be anyone's alternative homeland" because "Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine." He added that the kingdom would not hesitate to use its army to prevent the implementation of this notion. Jordan's former information minister, Saleh Al-Qallab, currently a member of its Assembly of Senators (the upper house of parliament), spoke in a similar vein in an interview on Jordanian TV, saying that Jordan would fight Israel if the latter tried to implement the "alternative homeland" idea. The escalation was also manifest in scathingly anti-Israeli articles published in the Jordanian media, which likewise discussed the option of a military confrontation and of revoking the peace agreement with Israel, with some even asserting that Israel's existence was temporary. Jordan's sharp reaction to the "alternative homeland" idea seems to stem partly from the current instability in the kingdom, as a result of the tension between the regime and the various movements – including the Muslim Brotherhood and the popular protest movements – that have been demonstrating in demand of reforms. The Jordanian regime fears that the wave of uprisings sweeping across the Arab world will reach Jordan as well. Clearly, in this sensitive period, a delicate issue like the "alternative homeland" idea can become explosive. The deterioration of Israel-Jordan relations can also be seen as a direct extension of the decline in Israel's relations with Turkey and Egypt. Indeed, the raid on the Israeli embassy in Cairo was widely celebrated in Jordan, and some predicted it would herald a decline in the relations between Israel and Jordan. It should be noted that, over the past months, the Jordanian media, especially the daily Al-Dustour, have been posting articles lambasting Israel, which claimed, for example, that "the conflict with Israel is existential rather than territorial," that "the Zionist enterprise has a genocidal character and threatens the entire [Arab] nation," and that "the gangs of the occupation... are Judaizing Jerusalem in order to turn it into a Jewish ghetto like the Warsaw ghetto." Articles described the Israelis as "killers of the prophets" and "the new Nazis," and called to reexamine the option of a military confrontation with Israel. It should be noted, however, the majority of these articles appeared in Al-Dustour and did not reflect the general tone of the Jordanian media. To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5720.htm. Special Dispatch No. 4204—Lebanon/Syria/Turkey/Inter-Arab Relations Following are excerpts from an interview with former Lebanese minister Wiam Wahhab, which aired on New TV on September 25, 2011. To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/3135.htm. Wiam Wahhab: "Let's begin with Erdoğan, that watermelon seller. There's nothing wrong with being a watermelon seller..." Interviewer: "You're calling him a watermelon seller?! A year ago, you considered him a pan-Arab hero." To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5719.htm. 
MEMRI Daily: October 13, 2011
In Jordan, Escalation in Anti-Israel Rhetoric, Threats
Former Lebanese Minister Wiam Wahhab Threatens Turkish PM Erdogan: If "That Watermelon Seller" Occupies Even a Meter of Syrian Land, 100,000 Missiles Will Fall on Turkey
Thursday, 13 October 2011
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