Jordan’s government and Hamas: not friends
Here are some recent developments in the Arab world [emphasis mine]:
The intensive protests in Jordan against the war in Gaza are a source of concern for the Gulf states, which regard them as an attempt by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement and Iran to agitate the masses and ultimately overthrow the Jordanian regime, as well as other regimes in the region.
Since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack in southern Israel and the outbreak of the ensuing war in Gaza, which has been ongoing for six months, Hamas officials, who are supported by the MB [Muslim Brotherhood] and Iran, have been calling on the people of Jordan to escalate the protests in the kingdom and join the fight against Israel by opening a front against it from this country. These calls increased the scope and intensity of the protests, which take place throughout the country but especially in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Amman, where thousands of young men gather every evening to “besiege the embassy building,” chanting slogans in praise of Hamas’ leaders and against the Jordanian king. Elements close to the MB have also called to stir up popular unrest in other Arab countries that maintain ties with Israel.
Both Jordan and its Arab allies, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Palestinian Authority (PA), accuse Hamas and its patrons – the MB and Iran – of using the war in Gaza to destabilize the Jordanian kingdom, overthrow its regime and even instigate chaos and a new “Arab Spring” in the region. As the protests in the kingdom intensified, Arab leaders stressed that they stand with their ally Jordan. …
This complete support for the Jordanian kingdom also found expression in many articles in the Saudi and Emirati press. … Other articles in the Saudi and Emirati papers attacked the leaders of Hamas, claiming that they are trying to destroy Jordan in order to cover up their defeat in the Gaza war, and warned about a plot by Iran and the MB to precipitate another Arab Spring in the region. Some articles even claimed that targeting Jordan would be regarded by its Arab allies as a declaration of war, and noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE would act to defend the stability of the Jordanian regime.
Since October 7 we have read that many Arab states, while outwardly supporting the Palestinians, are supporting Israel behind the scenes. This is further evidence of it. They see Hamas, the Palestinians and their allies, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iran as a threat to their own governments, and they are correct to do so. There is a long long history there, too long to go into in this post.
But I will mention one aspect of that history that involves Jordan. Remember the phrase “Black September”? Most of us Westerners of a certain age remember that it was used by the Palestinian group that perpetrated the horrendous 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes that first shocked the world but ended up gaining much sympathy for the Palestinian cause (does that event trajectory sound familiar?).
But the term “Black September” had another meaning that was (and probably still is) well-known in the Arab world if not here. It refers to the 1970-1971 war in Jordan in which Palestinians attempted to topple the government and the government retaliated against them:
Black September, also known as the Jordanian Civil War, was an armed conflict between Jordan, led by King Hussein, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by chairman Yasser Arafat. The main phase of the fighting took place between 16 and 27 September 1970, though certain aspects of the conflict continued until 17 July 1971.
… by early 1970, leftist groups within the PLO began calling for the overthrow of Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, leading to violent clashes in June 1970. Hussein hesitated to oust them from the country, but continued PLO activities in Jordan culminated in the Dawson’s Field hijackings of 6 September 1970. This involved the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) seizing three civilian passenger flights and forcing their landing in the Jordanian city of Zarqa, where they took foreign nationals as hostages and blew up the planes in front of international press. Hussein saw this as the last straw and ordered the Jordanian Army to take action.
On 17 September 1970, the Jordanian Army surrounded cities with a significant PLO presence, including Amman and Irbid, and began targeting fedayeen posts that were operating from Palestinian refugee camps. The next day, 10,000 Syrian troops bearing Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) markings began an invasion by advancing towards Irbid, which the fedayeen had occupied and declared to be a “liberated” city. On 22 September, the Syrians withdrew from Irbid after suffering heavy losses to a coordinated aerial–ground offensive by the Jordanians. Mounting pressure from other Arab countries, such as Iraq, led Hussein to halt his offensive. On 13 October, he signed an agreement with Arafat to regulate the fedayeen’s presence in Jordan. However, the Jordanian military attacked again in January 1971, and the fedayeen were driven out of the cities, one by one, until 2,000 surrendered after they were encircled during the Ajlun offensive on 23 July, formally marking the end of the conflict.
Jordan allowed the fedayeen to relocate to Lebanon via Syria, where they later became involved in the Lebanese Civil War. The Palestinian Black September Organization was founded after the conflict to carry out attacks against Jordanian authorities in response to the fedayeen’s expulsion; their most notable attack was the assassination of Jordanian prime minister Wasfi Tal in 1971, as he had commanded parts of the military operations against the fedayeen. The following year, the organization shifted its focus to attacking Israeli targets and carried out the Munich massacre against Israeli athletes.
It’s a lot to digest and sort out, but the gist of it is this: Jordan and its allied Arab states have much reason to oppose the Palestinians and their allies because they know from bitter bitter experience that they are the target as well, not just Israel. And they are willing to kill a great many Palestinians to defend themselves. They and their allies are now issuing are a warning.
The time frame in the region is very long. The Black September events occurred over fifty years ago, but the issues have not substantially changed although some of the details have.
NOTE: Wiki can be unintentionally funny sometimes. When it says that the pugnacious Palestinians (using the old term “fedayeen”) “later became involved in the Lebanese Civil War” what it means is that, as with the Palestinians in Jordan, the country took them in and then the Palestinians proceeded to destabilize and try to topple the government of the host country. In fact, Lebanon has never been remotely the same since then, although Jordan has survived fairly intact.
The movie Black Sunday (1977) was about a fictional attack on the U.S. by a Black September group.
This is, in addition to the history of Jews and the Jewish state, a strong reason we must support Israel against Hamas. Hamas and the Iranian mullahs are the old barbarism rising again. This is a worldwide problem and it must be defeated. Thinking that it’s just the Near East is a mistake. Radicals were out in Dearborn, Michigan, last week calling for “Death to America.”
You might also have mentioned the assassination of Anwar Sadat, which may not have been done by Palestinians but had a similar motivation.
One reason why the Palestinians are confined to what they call “an open air prison” is that no one in the region will take them in, because they’ve turned against anyone who ever did. They routinely shoot themselves in the foot, and then complain because their foot hurts.
Just watch. The pro Palestinian American groups would claim that in another Palestinian vs Jordan conflict that the Palestinians were fighting for ” democracy”…
Do not put such propaganda past these people.
Yes the sadat assasination was belied by similar motives by native egyptian officers in the army and other figures like zawahiri who was on the outside of the network
Ironically thix came about sadat had brought thebrotherhood out of cold, under nasser when they had fled east to saudi and north to germany after suez
Sadat was assassinated by The Muslim Brotherhood, the umbrella organization of Hamas.
The MB was founded in Egypt in 1928. It was funded and trained by the Nazis in the 30s and 40s. After WWII they unanimously elected the Nazi war criminal the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem their leader.
There’s plenty more.
Abdullahs grandfather was killed by a palestinian yet his son king hussein went in on the 67 war (in the tail end of uris
haj)
The prime minister. Should have rebuffed the innuendo that stemmed from the pij rocket attack and everything that followed
The Jordanian Army was originally trained by the British, with some British officers, and used to be the best Arab army in the region (didn’t stop the Israelis from routing them in ’67, mind you). That time is long past, and the Jordanians are now probably of a similar quality as the other Arab armies in the region. But in ’71, some of the old effectiveness would still have been in place.
Now general zia future leader of pakistan was with the peacekeepers in the west bank in 67-70 he helped crush fatah in that interval perhaps he thought he could tame the future taliban that way (he never got the chance) even though the isi under hamid gul sowed the seeds of this group in and out of office
This was largely driven by pakistans three losses against india so was their nuclear program
“They and their allies are now issuing are a warning.” ?
I wonder if Wiki was using “fedayeen” prior to the recent remake of Dune or if it was edited into it afterwards for obvious reasons. The word had certainly fallen out of common use.
The Gazans, aka Palestinians, are a totally useless batch of humans. They voted Hamas in as their ruler in 2006, and the large majority of them are pro-Hamas and anti-Israel. The Israelis should take off their gloves and eradicate the Gazan swine, because they cannot be rehabilitated. IMO, it is futile to worry about killing little Gazan kids. The Allies carpet-bombed Germany in WWII and few hands were wrung about killing “innocent children”. Remember Dresden!
Is it not odd that the educated West has become solidly anti-semitic and pro-Palestinian? Are US universities full of ignorant fools? Apparently.
…the pugnacious Palestinians (using the old term “fedayeen”)…
–neo
Fedayeen rang a bell for me given the current interest in Frank Herbert’s “Dune”:
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Fedaykin – “Fremen death commandos; historically: a group formed and pledged to give their lives to right a wrong.” In Dune, they are personally trained by, and fiercely loyal to, Paul Atreides. The term is derived from the Arabic Fedayeen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_Dune_(franchise)_terminology
___________________________________
I was enthralled by “Dune” when the novel came out in 1965, It seemed to be “Lawrence of Arabia” with a happy ending. It took me a while after Herbert’s sequels to realize for Herbert “Dune” was a cautionary tale.
The new “Dune” is good, though Timothée Chalamet looks too much like a boy band rock star to play warrior/messiah Paul Muad’Dib.
Is it not odd that the educated West has become solidly anti-semitic and pro-Palestinian? Are US universities full of ignorant fools? Apparently.
Cicero:
Depends on what game they are playing. If they are playing for Truth, Beauty and Goodness, well, maybe not so much.
But if they are playing for Power, however they rationalize it to themselves, they are playing a smart hand.
They may be lying to themselves, but they are not fools.
Dear Neo:
I think it is a real possibility that this “war” will not be over for generations.
@ huxley > “Timothée Chalamet looks too much like a boy band rock star to play warrior/messiah Paul Muad’Dib.”
https://babylonbee.com/news/timothe-chalamet-cast-as-doctor-who-james-bond-spider-man-ron-weasley-lara-croft
‘Nough said?
During the Jordanian crackdown on Fatah in 1970, more than a few terrorists fled to Israel preferring to be imprisoned than killed, tortured or mutilated….
“…not friends…”
Speaking of which “Biden” DEMONSTRATES—yet again—just how TRUTH-FRIENDLY “he” is!
‘Scandal Rocks Biden’s Labor Dept For Lying About Sharing Non-Public Inflation Data With Secret Group Of Wall Street “Super Users” ‘—
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/scandal-rocks-bidens-labor-dept-lying-about-sharing-non-public-inflation-data-secret-group
(And “he” absolutely never tires of demonstrating it!…Though I suppose one MIGHT say that at least “he” knows who “his” friends are…)
File under: Indefatigable!!!
And should ANYONE wonder where his/her/other tax dollars are going….
“Tech company headed by former CEO of bankrupt Solyndra to receive $6.6 billion from Biden admin;
“Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. president is the former CEO of Solyndra, the green energy company that went bankrupt in 2011 after receiving $500 million in loans during the Obama administration.”—
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/tech-company-headed-former-bankrupt-solyndra-ceo-receive-66-billion-biden
Talk about a genius in fundraising!!
Speaking of “TRUTH-FRIENDLY”, here’s a rather curious claim about the NATURAL ORIGINS—remember that?—of Covid-19….
Rand Paul (yes, I know, some will decide to read no further!) reveals:
“15 US Agencies Knew Wuhan Lab Was “Trying To Create A Coronavirus Like COVID-19″…’
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/15-us-agencies-knew-wuhan-lab-was-trying-create-coronavirus-covid-19-rand-paul