Jordan's Stability and Regime Survival amid the War on Palestinians
Published online on March 31, 2026
Abstract
["Middle East Policy, Volume 33, Issue 1, Page 51-66, Spring 2026. ", "\nAbstract\nThe war in Gaza and the escalation of conflict across the Middle East have once again demonstrated that Jordan's stability is closely intertwined with the Palestinian issue. This article contends that the retreat from a two‐state solution and the growing public protests are perceived by the regime as an existential threat. Since 1988, the kingdom has consolidated its identity around King Hussein's declaration, “Jordan is not Palestine.” Thus, any potential for relocation of Gazans or mass influx of West Bank Palestinians into Jordan threatens the sovereignty of the Hashemite monarchy. Paradoxically, however, the Gaza war also allows the regime to use the Palestine question as a mechanism to rally public support. Given this complexity, the study examines how Israel's war has affected both Jordan's political stability and the regime's survival strategies.\n"]