Berkley Center

In Amman, people do not rely on their smartphones to find a specific address. The best way to get someplace is to find the closest landmark. Given the lack of reliable public transport, most foreigners take cabs. Unfortunately for me, the closest locations to my house are a closet-sized convenience store and the Israeli embassy. In the likely event that a cab driver is not familiar with the generic convenience store, called “Supermarket,” I reluctantly ask for the Israeli embassy instead. A good number of cab drivers have responded to my request by scowling, driving away, or pretending that they do not know what I am talking about. I consider myself lucky if I can find a cab driver who will humor my request with a sardonic chuckle—that is usually followed by a thorough interview in Jordanian Arabic about my American background and specific interests in Amman.

Though the Jordanian government has historically boasted good relations with Israel, few people in Amman agree with their government’s association. That is not at all surprising, given that more than half of Jordan’s population is Palestinian. Since the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 1948, the Jordanian government has borne the brunt of refugee flows, offering full citizenship and more rights to Palestinians than it even does for Syrians and Iraqis. Still, socioeconomic mobility is tough for aspiring Palestinians. Given the job market, it would not surprise me if it turned out that the majority of Jordan’s cab drivers are of Palestinian descent. That would certainly explain my struggles getting home.

This afternoon, while taking a cab to Starbucks, I drove past the Al-Kalouti Mosque, where I witnessed dozens of Jordanians raising their flags and chanting in protest. The demonstration was a bit startling to see at first, but it was relatively calm and highly organized. The protesters stood behind a fence of police officers wearing dark camouflage and black helmets. Curious, I inched closer to the window seat to capture a picture on my iPhone. My cab driver leaned outside his window and scoffed, “Because of Israel.”

In reality, my cab driver was referring to recent tensions in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (commonly referred to as Temple Mount by Jewish people). The Jordanian government technically holds custodial rights over the religious site, which was stormed this week by Israeli settlers and security forces. President Netanyahu has recently come under pressure from Jewish hardliners to hand over the mosque to Jews and restrict access to Muslim worshippers; hardliners claim the site is more significant for Jewish worship, though many view this demand as a gross encroachment of a long established place of Muslim prayer.

On Wednesday, when dozens of police forces stormed the mosque after already restricting access to young male Muslims, clashes broke out. The Jordanian government promptly recalled its ambassador to Israel and threatened to pursue legal action through the United Nations. The following morning, President Netanyahu, who likely came under pressure of US and Jordanian officials, phoned King Abdullah to assure Jordan of its rightful control over Temple Mount.

Reverberations from the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque are still being felt deeply by the Jordanian people. Based on my cab driver’s understanding of the chants, the Jordanians outside Al-Kalouti Mosque were urging the government to cut off all of its ties with Israel. For them, recalling the ambassador and threatening legal action may not have been be enough.

Regardless of your perspective on the Middle East, it is interesting that Jordan adopts so many Palestinians and at the same time maintains ties with Israel. If you consider Jordan’s position, think of the foster parents who stay friends with the same parents who sent their kids to foster care in the first place. I admit there are many flaws in that analogy, but hopefully you get the point. To be fair, there are other numerous diplomatic considerations for the Jordanian government that might explain its seemingly two-faced policy.

Nonetheless, today’s demonstrations were certainly a powerful, if not symbolic gesture by the Jordanian people. Most them, Palestinians, have not forgotten where they came from. Looking at my own origins as an American citizen, I could not help but view this peaceful assembly with admiration. As I stepped out of my cab, the driver looked back at me and shrugged, “Here, a new day is a new adventure. Welcome to the Middle East.”