Who benefits from destabilizing Jordan’s security?

Who benefits from destabilizing Jordan’s security?
People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 02 April 2024
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Who benefits from destabilizing Jordan’s security?

Who benefits from destabilizing Jordan’s security?
  • Riyadh stresses that Amman’s security is a ‘red line’

RIYADH: As Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi ups demands for the UN Security Council to adopt a binding Chapter VII resolution that would force Israel to stop “the war crimes being committed in Gaza and reverse its decision to close border crossings to humanitarian aid,” protests are intensifying in front of the Israeli Embassy in Amman.

This comes amid security measures aimed at preventing the escalation of the protests, with a Jordanian politician describing them as “not innocent.”

The country’s Public Security Directorate announced on Sunday that “a security force arrested a number of rioters in the region of Baqa’a after they were caught rioting, vandalizing, setting fires and throwing rocks at passing vehicles on the public road.”

The statement added that the PSD “dealt with some protests and gatherings that took place in some areas of the capital. The security personnel, who were present at the scene to maintain security and order, dealt with the protesters with the utmost discipline and professionalism. This is what the Public Security personnel have been working on for many months, during which thousands of citizens took to the streets and none of them was denied the right to express his or her opinion.”

The PSD added: “Last night and during the nights preceding it, these protests witnessed violations, insults and attempts to attack Public Security personnel, who were called completely unacceptable names.” There were “also vandalism attempts, attacks on both public and private properties, and sit-ins in the middle of roads, which prevented cars from driving on them. These violations were committed by men and women who, for days, deliberately confronted Public Security personnel.”

Calls for chaos

Since the middle of last week, the area close to the Israeli Embassy in the Al-Rabiah district has been the site of protests, drawing tens of thousands of participants. In addition, “internal and external” media platforms and social media accounts urged people to join the demonstrations, which featured slogans in support of “Hamas” and the “Al-Qassam Brigades.” There were also recordings played of these groups’ leaders “calling on the people of Jordan to act.” This was in contrast to the protests that took place in the initial days of the war, and despite Jordan’s intensified diplomatic efforts aimed at securing an immediate ceasefire and allowing the entry of humanitarian aid and relief.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a Jordanian source accused “the leaders of the Islamic Movement in Amman of coordinating with Hamas leaders abroad to drag the Jordanian public into the war in Gaza and broaden the scope of tensions around occupied Palestine. What is happening warrants official reviews, given the nature and scale of the available information about external communications and calls urging the Jordanian public to escalate against its government.”

Saudi Arabia’s emphasis on Jordan’s security

A Saudi Arabia official confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kingdom supports all measures being taken by Jordan to safeguard the nation’s  security and sovereignty in the face of those attempting to subvert the state. Jordan’s security remained an integral part of Saudi Arabia’s security due to the two countries’ shared history and geography. The official added that Riyadh would not allow any attempts to drag Jordan into the conflict, or turn it into an arena where the problems and issues of the region are played out.

The official added that the region cannot bear any new conflict, particularly in light of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and the attacks in the Red Sea. Furthermore, the attempts to drag Jordan into the quagmire of chaos and unrest do not serve Arab and international efforts aimed at ending conflicts in the region.

Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood and the return of chaos

Observers have warned that the chaos and violence in Jordan constitute a threat from Iran. One observer said this was “the prelude to a conspiracy led by the Muslim Brotherhood with clear Iranian goals to respread chaos in the region” and stressed that “both sides are taking advantage of the war in Gaza this time to mobilize the public against the king, army and government.” It was also noted that “those mobilizing the Jordanian public today are the same ones who harmed Jordan’s security and stability 54 years ago, but they are employing different tools.”

Two sides sharing common interests

Saudi Arabia political analyst Munif Al-Harbi pointed out that “it is no longer a secret that there are two sides that have interests in causing tensions in the region and establishing a new front: the (Muslim Brotherhood) and Iran. Their agendas converge today just like they did in the Arab Spring, and they worked to destabilize the Arab states. Since the beginning of the events in Gaza, we have seen that the leadership of (Hamas) is trying to mobilize the Jordanian public and drag Jordan into the war by any means. It seems that this approach aims to divert attention from the failure of (Hamas) and the mistakes it made, along with the public exposure of the resistance axis’ inability to defend the slogans it raised about fighting Israel.”

Jordan’s security integral to Saudi Arabia’s

Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia “considers Jordan’s security and stability integral to its security and stability. I think that Saudi Arabia supports all of the measures that are being taken by the Jordanian leadership and government. The Saudi-Jordanian relations, especially between the countries’ leaderships, enjoy a special particularity.”

Al-Harbi added: “Given Saudi Arabia’s great religious, Arab, moral and political significance, the Kingdom is concerned with the principle of safeguarding Arab national security, including its interest in Jordan’s stability. We saw models of this Saudi concern in Kuwait in 1990, Bahrain in 2011, Egypt in 2015 and Yemen in 2015.”

Al-Harbi’s comments brings to mind the events during Ramadan 1439 A.H., corresponding to June 2018, when King Salman called for a summit to be held in Mekkah during the last 10 days of the month. This brought together the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE, to provide Jordan with a $2.5 billion economic aid package.

Back then, King Abdullah thanked King Salman for taking the initiative and calling for the meeting, and also praised Kuwait and the UAE for accepting the invitation. He also expressed his deep appreciation to all three states for the aid package, “which will help Jordan overcome this crisis.”

During the “sedition” events that took place in the spring of 2021 in Jordan, Riyadh stood by Amman. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Jordanian leadership that “the Kingdom stands in solidarity with Jordan and supports all the measures taken by King Abdullah to safeguard Jordan’s security and stability.” King Abdullah later expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support when he received the Kingdom’s Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in August of the same year. In a statement issued by Jordan’s royal court King Abdullah thanked Saudi Arabia for supporting “the Kingdom of Jordan in the face of the different challenges, including the sedition attempt that Jordan thwarted in its infancy.”

Abdulaziz Sager, head of the Gulf Research Center, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “there is a deep and unique geographical and human connection between the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan. Therefore, Jordan’s security and stability are essential for maintaining security in the Occupied Territories. It is in the interest of some sides to spread chaos and instability in the states surrounding the Palestinian territories, including Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon.

“Jordan, in particular, is of great significance and sensitivity, as, for the Israeli extremist ideology, it represents the alternative homeland, which Israeli extremist forces hope to target to facilitate the achievement of the goal of displacement and seizure of Palestinian lands. Destabilizing Jordan is in Israel’s interest due to Jordan’s current position, which firmly opposes Israeli plans.”

Sager added: “Some extremist Palestinian leaders, including some of Hamas’ leaders, unfortunately, are calling for instability in Jordan, driven by wrong, dangerous and short-sighted calculations. Saudi Arabia’s position is clear. It considers undermining Jordan’s stability and security a red line and rejects any attempt to spread chaos and carry out security coups in the Arab world under the pretext of supporting the resistance in Gaza.”

This is a translation of an article published on www.aawsat.com

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Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister
Updated 06 November 2024
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Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

JERUSALEM: Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of his defense minister, demanding the government do everything in its power to bring home hostages held in Gaza.
The demonstration erupted soon after Netanyahu’s office announced the sacking of Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following public differences over the war with Hamas.
The removal of Gallant — a hawk on the war Hezbollah in Lebanon who also pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza — coincided with the presidential election in the United States, Israel’s top military backer.
Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel’s retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
“Over the past few months... trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense minister,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that foreign minister Israel Katz would take his place.
Shortly afterwards, thousands of people took to the streets of commercial hub Tel Aviv, chanting slogans against Netanyahu and demanding the return of 97 hostages held in Gaza.
Protesters blocked traffic and lit fires, with some wearing “Bring them home now!” T-shirts referring to the hostages.
They held up signs with slogans such as “We deserve better leaders” and “Leaving no one behind!,” and one protester wore handcuffs and a face mask with Netanyahu’s likeness.
The reshuffle’s timing comes at a critical juncture in the Gaza and Lebanon wars, with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon massively weakened.
Jonathan Rynhold of the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University said Netanyahu was feeling “emboldened because he is improving in the polls.”
“He is also taking advantage of the fact that the US election is happening today... everyone’s focus is elsewhere,” he told AFP.
After his appointment, Katz vowed “victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war,” including “the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon” and the return of hostages.
Gideon Saar, a minister without portfolio, was appointed to replace Katz as foreign minister.
After being fired, Gallant posted on X that Israel’s security would remain his life’s “mission.”
He called on the government to bring home the hostages in Gaza while they were “still alive” and insisted all Israelis of draft age must serve in the military — a key issue that he and Netanyahu had disagreed on.
The sacked minister had been a key advocate for ultra-Orthodox Jews to be called up, but Netanyahu wanted their exemption to continue, fearing their conscription could break up his far-right coalition government.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages in their attack, of whom Israel believes 63 people including two children are still alive in Gaza.
After Gallant’s dismissal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group urged Katz “to prioritize a hostage deal... to secure the immediate release of all hostages.”
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri welcomed the sacking of Gallant, who especially in the early months of the war was seen as a key architect of the fight against the militant group.
“Netanyahu dismissed Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who was bragging that he would eliminate Hamas. Today, we say to them that Gallant is gone, but Hamas remains, and will remain, God willing,” Abu Zuhri said.


Aviv Bushinsky, a political commentator and former Netanyahu chief of staff, said Gallant’s dismissal was just “a matter of time.”
“I cannot recall an incident when Israel Katz was in opposition to Netanyahu,” he said.
“Besides, Netanyahu thinks he can run the show himself.”
Meanwhile, on the ground, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon showed no sign of abating.
Authorities in Lebanon reported raids across the country, and the toll from a strike on Tuesday in the town of Barja, south of Beirut, rose to 20.
Hezbollah on Tuesday claimed it had fired rockets and drones into northern Israel, and also targeted Israeli troops near the border inside Lebanon.
Tuesday’s fighting came more than a month into the Hezbollah-Israel war which has left at least 1,990 dead in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.
Palestinians in Gaza told AFP that whoever wins the US presidential election must end the conflict in the territory.
“We are hanging by a thread, and like every other people in the world, we are looking for someone who can stop the war,” said Ayman Al-Omreiti, 45, in Gaza City.


‘Bulldozer’ Katz, long-time ally of Israel’s Netanyahu

‘Bulldozer’ Katz, long-time ally of Israel’s Netanyahu
Updated 06 November 2024
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‘Bulldozer’ Katz, long-time ally of Israel’s Netanyahu

‘Bulldozer’ Katz, long-time ally of Israel’s Netanyahu
  • Katz, 69, labelled by Israeli media as a “bulldozer” for his direct and sometimes abrasive style, is considered both close and loyal to Netanyahu

JERUSALEM: Israel’s new Defense Minister Israel Katz, known for his abrasive style, is a long-time ally and loyalist of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a dramatic announcement late on Tuesday, Netanyahu sacked defense minister Yoav Gallant over what he said was a breakdown in trust during the Gaza war against Hamas.
“Over the past few months that trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense minister,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.
The statement added that he had appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to take Gallant’s place.
Katz, 69, labelled by Israeli media as a “bulldozer” for his direct and sometimes abrasive style, is considered both close and loyal to Netanyahu.
After his appointment, Katz vowed to defeat Israel’s enemies and achieve the country’s war goals.
“We will work together to lead the defense establishment to victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war: the return of all hostages as the most important moral mission, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the containment of Iranian aggression, and the safe return of the residents of the north and south to their homes,” he said in a statement.
A member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, in which he was previously president of the party’s convention, Katz has held multiple cabinet roles going back to 2003.
As foreign minister, Katz drew international attention for his pointed attacks on world leaders and international organizations that had expressed opposition to Israeli military actions, particularly in Gaza.
He spearheaded a diplomatic battle against the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and last month Israel’s parliament banned the agency from working in Israel and occupied east Jerusalem.
On Monday, Katz instructed his ministry to formally notify the United Nations that Israel was canceling its agreements with UNRWA.
Last month Katz triggered outrage when he declared UN chief Antonio Guterres “persona non grata in Israel” and wrote in a post on X that he would ban him from entering the country.
Before serving as foreign minister, Katz’s most notable role was as minister of transport.
He spent a decade in the post from 2009-2019, but had also held the energy and finance portfolios in various Netanyahu cabinets.
Aviv Bushinsky, a political commentator and Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, told AFP that Katz was likely to be more in tune with the prime minister than his predecessor Gallant.
“I cannot recall an incident when Israel Katz was in opposition to Netanyahu with anything,” Bushinsky said.
“It is true he does not have any military experience, but he was a very good transport minister and has sat in the cabinet for many years,” he added.
“Besides, Netanyahu thinks he can run the show himself — and he has managed to run the show even though Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, two generals, quit the government.”
Born in the coastal city of Ashkelon, Katz has been a prominent player in Israeli politics since becoming a member of parliament, the Knesset, in 1998.
Today he is among the highest-ranking ministers in the Likud party.
Married with two children, Katz is a resident of Moshav Kfar Ahim in southern Israel.


Gideon Saar, Netanyahu rival turned Israel’s new wartime foreign minister

Gideon Saar, Netanyahu rival turned Israel’s new wartime foreign minister
Updated 06 November 2024
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Gideon Saar, Netanyahu rival turned Israel’s new wartime foreign minister

Gideon Saar, Netanyahu rival turned Israel’s new wartime foreign minister
  • Saar was appointed foreign minister to replace Israel Katz, who took over the defense portfolio on Tuesday after Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant over an erosion of trust during the Gaza war

JERUSALEM: A self-styled political rebel and once a rival of the prime minister, Gideon Saar was named Israel’s new foreign minister on Tuesday.
Just five years ago Saar openly challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the leadership of Israel’s right-wing Likud party.
The former journalist and lawyer then left Likud in 2020, saying it had been corrupted under Netanyahu’s leadership, to form the hawkish, right-wing New Hope party.
Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last year, Saar joined the emergency war cabinet, before leaving the administration.
In September, he joined Netanyahu’s government as minister without a portfolio.
“As a long-time member of the government and cabinet, Gideon Saar brings substantial experience and sound judgment in security and policy matters, making him a valuable addition to our leadership team,” Netanyahu said Tuesday in a statement issued by his office.
“The addition of Saar and his party will strengthen the coalition and stabilize the government, which is crucial at all times, particularly in times of war.”
Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 43,391 Palestinians, a majority of them civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry, figures considered reliable by the UN.
Saar was appointed foreign minister to replace Israel Katz, who took over the defense portfolio on Tuesday after Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant over an erosion of trust during the Gaza war.
Gallant had for months clashed with Netanyahu over his approach to talks on a possible hostage release deal and on the future of Gaza.
Israeli media earlier this year quoted Gallant as privately telling a parliamentary committee that a hostage release deal “is stalling... in part because of Israel.”
Netanyahu’s office accused Gallant of adopting an “anti-Israel narrative.”
Saar entered politics in 1999 as government secretary, before being elected to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in 2003.
He rose through the ranks to become interior minister and education minister in previous Netanyahu governments.
In 2021 he joined the government of former prime minister Naftali Bennett as justice minister with the title of deputy prime minister.
His political star had, however, dimmed in recent years.
Though he participated in the emergency government formed in the wake of the October 7 attack, he joined the opposition in March after failing to get a seat in the war cabinet.
He is considered more right-wing than Netanyahu, but lacks his charisma.
He has spoken out in favor of the all-out annexation of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
His ideology is “that of the Likud” but he believes that the party has “abandoned its values under Netanyahu,” deputy Sharren Haskel, a close friend of Saar’s, told AFP.
With a father who grew up in Argentina and a mother with roots in Uzbekistan, Saar calls himself a practicing Jew while affirming that “every Israeli citizen must be able to live freely according to his conscience and way of life.”
He is married to high-profile Israeli journalist Geula Even, with whom he has two children.
A daughter from his first marriage, Alona Saar, is a popular actress.


Turkiye, Kyrgyzstan sign strategic partnership on Erdogan visit

Turkiye, Kyrgyzstan sign strategic partnership on Erdogan visit
Updated 06 November 2024
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Turkiye, Kyrgyzstan sign strategic partnership on Erdogan visit

Turkiye, Kyrgyzstan sign strategic partnership on Erdogan visit
  • Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov said in a statement: “We have taken an important decision to raise the level of strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye to that of a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’“

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Turkiye and Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday agreed to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” boosting defense ties, during an official visit to the Central Asian state by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ankara is strengthening its presence across the region, as it seeks to compete with the likes of Russia and China for influence.
Erdogan regularly visits Central Asia and will on Wednesday take part in a summit of the Organization of Turkic States, a Turkish-led initiative to promote its culture and ties across several former Soviet republics.
Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov said in a statement: “We have taken an important decision to raise the level of strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye to that of a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership.’“
The two sides signed 19 agreements in areas including energy, defense and the fight against terrorism.
Japarov hailed “Kyrgyz-Turkish cooperation in the field of defense and the potential for further development.”
Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkiye has stepped up military cooperation with Central Asian states, a challenge to Moscow’s historic supremacy in the region.
Turkiye was the third-biggest investor in Kyrgyzstan in the first half of 2024, behind Russia and China.
But it lags in terms of trade, accounting for 3.8 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s imports and exports, against 34.2 percent for China and 19.5 percent for Russia.
 

 


Turkiye sacks 3 pro-Kurdish mayors for ‘terror ties’

Turkiye sacks 3 pro-Kurdish mayors for ‘terror ties’
Updated 06 November 2024
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Turkiye sacks 3 pro-Kurdish mayors for ‘terror ties’

Turkiye sacks 3 pro-Kurdish mayors for ‘terror ties’

ISTANBUL: Turkiye on Monday sacked three mayors in the Kurdish-majority southeast on alleged “terrorism” charges, despite Ankara’s apparent desire to seek a rapprochement with the Kurdish community.

In a sweep, the mayors of the cities of Mardin and Batman as well as the Halfeti district in Sanliurfa province were all removed and replaced with government-appointed trustees, the Interior Ministry said.

All three belong to DEM, the main pro-Kurdish party, and were elected in March’s local elections, when opposition candidates won in numerous towns and cities, including Istanbul.

Among those removed were Ahmet Turk, Mardin’s 82-year- old mayor, along with Batman mayor Gulistan Sonuk and Mehmet Karayilan in Halfeti.

The ministry outlined a string of allegations against them, frommembershipinanarmed group to disseminating propaganda for the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, also known as PKK.

Since 1984, the PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state in which more than 40,000 people have died. It is blacklisted as a “terror” group by Turkiye and its Western allies.

Kurds make up around 20 percent of Turkiye’s overall population.

DEM swiftly denounced the moveas“amajorattackonthe Kurdish people’s right to vote and be elected.”