Why Jordan’s Confidence in the Future?

The address that King Abdullah II delivered to Jordanians on the eightieth anniversary of independence was nothing less than an expression of confidence in the future and in the capacity to confront the challenges of a region that, to put it mildly, is adrift in turbulent winds.

More important than anything else, the Jordanian sovereign sketched the image of the future to which Jordan aspires as a modern state — one that possesses few natural resources but has succeeded in developing its own distinctive wealth: the wealth of the human being.

Abdullah II’s address was brief, yet it contained enough courage to affirm that Jordan genuinely practices tolerance on the ground, in a region saturated with contradictions and extremists from every direction. It is no ordinary thing for the Jordanian monarch to speak of his country’s nature while addressing both the “sons” and “daughters” of Jordan, declaring: “Jordan has never been a margin in the narrative of humanity, but a homeland of nations and a land of harmony. On the bank of its river, Christ was baptized; within its bounds, the Companions and the Followers lived. Civilizations flourished on its soil and offered the world lessons in resilience and steadfastness, teaching us to persevere and to turn hardship into opportunity. The present bears the best witness to this. For despite all circumstances, Jordan has preserved its borders and its security, continued its democratic path, and shielded its economy from the effects of crises.”

Among the most significant passages of the address is Abdullah II’s statement: “Today, we celebrate not only what we have achieved, but what we possess in terms of destiny and capacity. Pride is not our purpose; what we seek is the consolidation of our confidence in this homeland.” Jordan knows itself, knows its direction, and knows its choices. This means the Kingdom fully understands the nature of events unfolding in the region and knows how to engage with them, drawing on long experience in this domain. If the events of the past eighty years have proven anything, it is that Jordan is one of the region’s constants. Syria changed, Iraq changed — and Jordan remained what it is: a Hashemite kingdom that requires lessons in patriotism from no one, including those Palestinian organizations that once believed “the road to Jerusalem passes through Amman.”

Jordan has always navigated Iraqi and Syrian changes and upheavals with simultaneous flexibility and firmness. It did so even as it was targeted on many occasions — particularly during the period of Egyptian-Syrian union between 1958 and 1961, and during Hafez al-Assad’s rise to power after 1970. At that time, King Hussein knew how to contain Assad the father, who sought to bring Jordan under his wing as he had done with Lebanon, and to forge a front under his command stretching from Aqaba to Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

As for the Gulf states, Jordan’s relationship with them has evolved considerably. Since the birth of the “Islamic Republic” regime in 1979, and since that regime waged war against Iraq between 1980 and 1988, Jordan — which took a clear position against it from the outset — has become an integral part of Gulf security.

One must pause at the reference to the phrase “on the bank of its river, Christ was baptized.” This expression affirms the historical and civilizational significance of Jordan, and the extent to which the Hashemite throne has internalized this significance and this historical depth of a country that came into being through the interaction between its native inhabitants — the East Jordanians — and the Hashemites. This dates to the early nineteen-twenties, when the entity was the Emirate of Transjordan, which in time became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1946.

Throughout its entire history, Jordan has preserved certain values grounded in the recognition of all its constituent communities — no distinction between one citizen and another on grounds of religion or nationality. This explains the full integration between Jordan’s tribes, including Christian tribes, and the Hashemite throne, as well as between the throne and the Circassians, Druze, Chechens, and those of Levantine origin. This interaction among all these communities has added immunity, strength, and stability to Jordan. It has reinforced Jordan’s positive role in the Palestinian cause and shored up Palestinian steadfastness in the West Bank, making the Kingdom a lifeline enabling Palestinians to reach the world and return to Palestine via the King Hussein Bridge.

Abdullah II has often stated that the issue is not one of tolerance so much as one of recognition of the other. It is therefore no coincidence that Jordan holds the custodianship over the Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem. A historic bond exists between the Hashemites and the holy sites of Jerusalem, in particular al-Aqsa Mosque.

Ultimately, the relationship between Jordan and the Palestinians cannot be ignored. This relationship has transformed over time, shaped by successive experiences, into something more than positive. In 1970, Jordan saved the Palestinians from themselves, thanks to its institutions — above all its army — and to the deep cohesion between the royal institution and the tribes. Jordan went further still by closing the door on the Israeli right, which at a certain point dreamed of the country as an “alternative homeland.”

Today, the Palestinians have become a positive factor in domestic affairs and in the service of stability. They are no longer merely an economic force of considerable weight within the Kingdom. The importance of Jordan has been revealed to them, particularly after they discovered the value of Jordanian stability and the meaning of living in a state with solid institutions, one that rejects all forms of extremism and turns away from hollow slogans that carry no weight in practice. Everything Jordan has done — including the decision to disengage from the West Bank in 1988 and the conclusion of the Wadi Araba agreement with Israel in 1994 — represents an affirmation of the drive toward the eventual establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Abdullah II’s address to the Jordanians was a message from the heart. It was an expression of the capacity to exercise self-confidence and to continue building a strong state — one firmly attached to its history and its roots, knowing first and foremost what it wants.