Jordan and the Arab Spring part 2: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

by Sarah Freishtat, Global Paradigm Fellow in Jordan
October 13, 2026

This post is Part II of an ongoing series analyzing the Arab Spring as seen and experienced by Jordan

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most visible political issues in Jordanian society. In a nation that is not vocal about contentious issues, the conflict lurks in every corner. And as the Palestinian bid for statehood has dragged on, the conflict has begun to emerge into the open.

While other countries have overthrown their entire government, Jordanian protests have remained relatively calm and the country is stable. However, the fervor of the Arab Spring has manifested itself in other areas. For example, there is open discussion of the control certain tribes exercise over the government, which had previously been a taboo subject.

When Egyptian riots turned against the Israeli embassy, forcing the ambassador to flee back to Israel, that same feeling sent shocks through Jordan. Peaceful, but large, protests sent the Israeli ambassador in Jordan packing as well, and spread to the American embassy across town.

Much of this is due to the demographic makeup of the country. Palestinians make up a large portion of the population, with estimates ranging as high as 50 percent. Amman, a city of three million people, is divided literally in half. The entire eastern side of the city is made up of refugee camps, filled with Palestinians. But even in west Amman, Palestinians live both as stateless people and as Jordanian citizens.

Much of this is also due to the country’s history. The West Bank, which is the heartland of the drive for statehood, was Jordanian territory before Israel conquered it in 1967. Jordan has alternately given West Bank residents citizenship and revoked that citizenship when extremist groups launched terror attacks in the country. Jordanian and Palestinian history have been intertwined since the formation of the modern Middle East.

While Jordan has a stake in most other Arab Spring uprisings, the Palestinian conflict is perhaps its greatest opportunity, as well as the hardest situation to manage. Jordan holds enormous credibility with all parties involved. It is a U.S. economic and military ally, is one of only two Arab countries that has a peace treaty with Israel, and home to much of the Palestinian population. Its relationship with each party may not be ideal, but at least it has an established relationship.

However, if Jordan wants to maintain those established relationships, its government must walk a fine, fairly neutral line. Any strong, public attempt to convince Israel or America of the need for a Palestinian state could result in the alienation of both countries. However, the failure to make a strong statement could alienate its own Palestinian population. An unhappy public is much more likely to join its fellow Arab states in uprising than would a satisfied population.