LONG-STANDING REDLINE FOR ARAB STATES
The wholesale rejection by Arab governments displays a refusal to be seen as complicit within the pressured 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 “various homeland” coverage, the place Palestinians can be resettled in Jordan as a way 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 warfare”.
Egypt’s safety issues are equally important. With Sinai already a risky hotbed for insurgency, together with Islamic State-linked teams, Cairo fears that any inflow of Palestinians might rework the battle in Gaza right into a direct menace 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 scenario on the so-called Philadelphi Hall, the place the Israeli presence is seen as a violation of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Additional complicating issues is Hamas’ ideological roots within the Muslim Brotherhood, paying homage to the times underneath President Mohammed Morsi, stoking fears of reigniting related instability.
