LONG-STANDING REDLINE FOR ARAB STATES
The wholesale rejection by Arab governments displays a refusal to be seen as complicit within the compelled displacement of Palestinians, and an consciousness of the problem’s volatility amongst their populace – protests in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan have already ignited.
Amman’s refusal to soak up Palestinians is definitely a long-standing redline. It’s intently tied to fears of a resurgent “different homeland” coverage, the place Palestinians can be resettled in Jordan as a method to resolve the battle, however on the kingdom’s expense.
The shadow of Black September 1970, when Palestinian militant teams clashed with the Jordanian army, continues to form its cautious stance. With half of Jordan’s inhabitants already of Palestinian descent, and tensions between its residents and refugees already excessive, the monarchy views the prospect of absorbing extra as a harmful overstep – one which some have even equated to a “declaration of conflict”.
Egypt’s safety considerations are equally important. With Sinai already a risky hotbed for insurgency, together with Islamic State-linked teams, Cairo fears that any inflow of Palestinians may rework the battle in Gaza right into a direct risk by itself soil.
This might flip Egypt right into a launch level for anti-Israel operations, drawing retaliation – one thing already seen within the tense state of affairs on the so-called Philadelphi Hall, the place the Israeli presence is considered as a violation of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Additional complicating issues is Hamas’ ideological roots within the Muslim Brotherhood, reminiscent of the times beneath President Mohammed Morsi, stoking fears of reigniting related instability.
