Jerusalem Unrest Tests Israel-Jordan Ties, Unlikely to Threaten Gas Deal

Jerusalem Unrest Tests Israel-Jordan Ties, Unlikely to Threaten Gas Deal
The Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque compound, also known as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sept. 9, 2013 (AP photo by Sebastian Scheiner).

Last month, with tensions flaring in Jerusalem over access to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, Jordan recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv—the first time it had done so since it signed a peace treaty with Israel 20 years ago. As part of that treaty, the Jordanian monarchy is the custodian of the holy site. The ambassador was withdrawn to protest what Jordan called Israeli “violations” there, including closing the sacred compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque for a day and raiding the mosque to quell protesters.

Continuing violence in Jerusalem, from hit-and-run attacks to stabbings and the killing of four Israelis at a synagogue on Nov. 18, has tested Israel-Jordan ties. That could be costly, threatening a gas deal announced in September, in which Jordan would import $15 billion of natural gas from Israel over 15 years, making Israel Jordan’s largest gas supplier.

As Mohammad al-Momani, Jordan’s Minister of Information, told the Financial Times, “The peace treaty between us and the Israelis organizes all sorts of bilateral relations. If the escalation continues, all sorts of coordination and cooperation regrettably might be affected.”

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review