Friday, January 28, 2011

Will Both Banks of the Jordan Be Joined?

I wonder what the thinking is over on the other side of the Jordan River?

Oh, here is one view:

Arab world unrest has Jordan’s king under pressure


Unrest ripping across the Arab world is putting pressure on Jordan's King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally who has been making promises of reform in recent days in an apparent attempt to quell domestic discontent over economic degradation and lack of political freedoms.

After two weeks of widespread protests inspired by the revolt that overthrew Tunisia's autocratic president, Abdullah has promised reforms in meetings with members of parliament, former prime ministers, civil society institutions and even Jordan's largest opposition group, the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood Movement.

But his promises appear unlikely to quash the opposition's daring calls to elect their prime minister and Cabinet officials, traditionally appointed by the king.

The Muslim Brotherhood called for fresh demonstrations on Friday to press its demand for political and economic reforms.

...When Abdullah ascended to the throne in 1999, he said he envisioned Jordan as one day becoming a constitutional monarchy, similar to Britain.

..."There must be real political reforms to allow the people to have a direct involvement in matters affecting their lives," said Hamza Mansour, the head of the Islamic Action Front, the Brotherhood's political arm...

Maybe Israel can help out here?

After all, the regions on both banks of the Jordan River were once to become the Jewiosh National Home.

^

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good point.

aparatchik said...

Mr Medad,

I guess there must have been Jews living on the east bank of the Jordan in 1922. What happened to them after the partition?

YMedad said...

As far as I know, very few Jews, if at all, were living there. Several dozen lived there as employees of the Mandate or its services or who were invited by Emir Abdullah as craftsmen. An attempt by Chaim Weiztmann to purchase land in south-west Transjordan in full cooperation with the Emir was actually sabotaged by the British.

See State, Society and Land, p. 180 (I found it here)