Group gathers at Jordanian embassy on Jordan’s Independence Day with petition to make country official Palestinian homeland.

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I used to think this was a fantasy, but considering the other changes occurring the Arab middle east, the Jordanian monarchy is vulnerable despite its apparent popularity. Considering that the majority of the inhabitants of Jordan would be considered “Palestinian” rather than “Jordanian”, it would not be inconceivable for the former to take over the country from the latter. This nearly happened in the 1970’s, when conflict arose between Palestinian paramilitary groups and King Hussein’s government, the result being the defeat of the PLO and exile of Yasir Arafat.

The existence of a “Palestinian” state in what is now Jordan, whether in fact or in name as well, would have quite an impact on the Israel/Palestine issue. It would no longer be possible for the Arab world to claim that there was no Palestinian state, since there would then be one, and in the largest part of the original British Palestine mandate no less. The Israel/Palestine issue would then look like a land and borders dispute (as some would now claim), rather than one about Israel’s very existence, with the Palestinian state looking much larger than Israel and its territorial claims on Israel looking far less reasonable. Not that any of this would stop Israel’s enemies from wanting (and trying) to destroy it, but their case for doing so would seem even less credible than it is now.

Not of least interest would be the fate of the “right of return”. Would a Jordanian-Palestinian state allow Palestinian Arabs the right to live in Jordan as citizens with full civil and political rights (where they do not at present)? Would Palestinians be allowed to abandon refugee camps and be allowed to go there to live? Would they give up their dreams of destroying Israel in exchange for the opportunity to create a successful society in their new country? Would this lead to peace in the middle east? Just a thought.