Jordan: Between Iraq and a Hard Place

November 8, 2016

Bordered by Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and lacking the natural resources of its neighbors, which include water and oil, Jordan’s geographic location is not desirable. In addition to having the third greatest water scarcity in the world, Jordan is also surrounded by more than one protracted geopolitical conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now in its seventh decade, Syria's civil war has lasted over five years so far, and ISIS continues to pose a threat in both Syria and Iraq. And yet, in the words of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, “Jordanian citizens’ foresight and sense of responsibility towards building Jordan into an oasis of stability are behind the country’s steadfastness and resilience.” Based on my experiences in Jordan so far, I would say that most Jordanians agree with that statement as well.


Of course, Jordan is not without its own domestic problems and public discontent with government policies. But when this is examined in a larger regional context, it seems that Jordan has handled its domestic issues much better than its neighbors. This is not only due to the government’s mostly democratic processes, but also because of the public’s chosen method of manifesting its disapproval. For example, the violent and massive revolutions of the Arab Spring that rocked much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011 were avoided in Jordan. Instead of a revolution, Jordan saw its citizens engage in peaceful demonstrations demanding the Royal Palace reform the country’s election process, which King Abdullah II mostly obliged to do.

In the past few weeks, another issue has elicited protests from Jordanians. This time, it is regarding a $10 billion energy deal signed between Jordan’s government-owned National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and Israel to buy Israeli gas. NEPCO claims that this gas deal will further enhance regional cooperation between the two countries and create an annual surplus of over $300 million. Jordanians, however, claim that the gas is not Israel’s and has instead been stolen from Palestine and Lebanon. According to Al Jazeera, this deal has sparked the largest protests in Jordan since the Arab Spring, and with most Jordanians either sharing roots with Palestinians or just being sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, it is easy to see why.

But just as before, these protests have remained peaceful. Every Friday morning, a group of several hundred Jordanians march through different neighborhoods in Amman, the country’s capital. Every Sunday night, many businesses and homes turn off their electricity from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to protest the energy deal. These are the sorts of actions that Jordanians are accustomed to taking. The government has opposition, just as any other country in the world. But in Jordan, the opposition has not cried for a revolution or for bloodshed, a fact that can be partially attributed to Jordan’s geographic location. The conflicts and instability surrounding Jordan provide Jordanians with a sort of warning that employing a more radical approach to protesting could turn Jordan into another Syria or Iraq.

While Jordan’s geographic location is certainly not enviable, in a way, it has provided context to its citizens about the consequences of violent opposition. And although some of these citizens may disagree with the Israeli energy agreement, they can take pride in being the oasis of stability in an otherwise tumultuous region.
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