Episode Overview

Podcast: Ask Haviv Anything
Host: Haviv Rettig Gur
Episode: 105 – Why don’t we talk about Jordan?
Date: April 11, 2026

Theme:
This episode delves into the underexplored but pivotal role of Jordan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Haviv Rettig Gur answers a listener's question about Jordan, unpacking its historical, political, and potential future significance in the region—while also exploring why Jordan is often left out of mainstream narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Historical Role of Jordan in 1948 and Beyond

• Jordan’s Prominence and Invisibility
  • "Jordan is both absolutely central to the Israeli Palestinian question, to the Israeli Palestinian story, and also almost entirely invisible from that story." (00:10)
• The 1948 War and the West Bank
  • The Arab Legion (Jordan) was the most competent Arab military force, holding the territory now known as the West Bank (then called Judea and Samaria in Hebrew).
  • The term "West Bank" originated from the Jordanian perspective, describing the west side of the Jordan River from Amman’s vantage point.
• Israeli War Cabinet Debates (1949):
  • Israel considered attacking Jordanian positions to capture the West Bank but refrained due to concerns over:
    • Governing a large Palestinian population (citizenship/democracy dilemma).
    • Angering the British, who protected Jordan.
  • "No questions are new under the sun. Everything Debated today was debated in 48, 49." (04:54)

Jordan’s Relationship with the Palestinians (1948–1967)

• Annexation and Citizenship:
  • Jordan officially annexed the West Bank and granted citizenship to most Palestinians there.
  • The Jericho Conference saw Palestinian elites swearing allegiance to the Jordanian monarchy, reflecting disillusionment with broader Arab leadership after 1948.
• The Nakba – Evolving Meaning:
  • Originally, "Nakba" (catastrophe) referred to Arab failure to defeat Israel, not the mass displacement of Palestinians (06:15).
  • "The catastrophe wasn't the suffering of ordinary people. It was the political shame of the Arabs..." (06:14)
• Jordanian Rule Preferred:
  • For many West Bank Palestinians, Jordanian rule was preferable to Israeli control.

The 1967 War and Aftermath

• Israel’s Diplomatic Efforts:
  • Before 1967, Israel urged King Hussein of Jordan not to enter the impending war, fearing destabilization and escalation.
  • Jordan’s participation was driven by Arab unity and the king's survival.
• Loss and Renunciation:
  • Jordan lost the West Bank in 1967, but only officially relinquished its claim in 1988.

Why the Narrative Sidelines Jordan

• Narrative Simplicity:
  • The exclusion of Jordan simplifies the popular story: Palestinian victimhood vs. Israeli conquest.
  • Egypt’s role in Gaza is easier to fit into this narrative; Jordan’s absorption and enfranchisement of Palestinians isn’t.
• "Jordan is hidden away off on the side of every serious conversation about the future of this land, even though it was one of the real central figures that shaped how everything turned out." (11:54)

Jordan-Israel Quiet Cooperation

• Long Quiet Border:
  • Since around 1970, Jordan and Israel have maintained a de facto peace — formalized by a 1993 treaty — primarily to secure their shared, longest border.
  • "Since then, Jordan has essentially been a military protectorate of Israel." (13:10)
  • Jordan suppresses discussion of its close relationship with Israel—the alliance is an "open secret."

Jordan’s Potential Future Role

• Stewardship of Muslim Holy Sites:
  • Jordan is official custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount.
• Strategic Depth and Palestinian Statehood:
  • Any viable Palestinian state would be heavily dependent on Israel for security and economics, and the West Bank lacks infrastructure like an airport.
• Confederation Scenario:

  • A Palestinian-Jordanian confederation could address security and infrastructure issues, making a Palestinian state less of a threat and less isolated.

  • This would mean access to Amman’s airport and a less "cloistered" Palestinian state.

  • "If we're there 25 years from now, what would have had to have happened beforehand to bring us from the place we are today to that place?... Well, that thought exercise involves a lot of Jordan." (18:45)

Jordanian Reluctance and Internal Dynamics

• Reluctance to Shoulder the Palestinian Question:
  • The monarchy is wary: "Most of its population, a majority, is Palestinian descendant — a destabilizing element." (23:16)
  • Jordan’s population is increasingly radicalized (anti-Israel, anti-Semitic views).
• Recent Measures by Jordan:
  • Outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood, launching a mass draft, investing in distinct Jordanian national identity.
• Monarchy’s Stance:
  • "Jordan very much doesn't want to get caught shouldering the burden of the Palestinian solution." (27:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On History's Repetition:

  • "No questions are new under the sun. Everything Debated today was debated in 48, 49." (04:54)

• On the Nakba's Changing Meaning:

  • "The catastrophe wasn't the suffering of ordinary people. It was the political shame of the Arabs in the failure to defeat the Jews." (06:14)

• On Narrative and Complexity:

  • "All of that just completely disrupts the basic narrative that Palestinians want to tell about the Israelis, about the Arabs, about their own story." (12:22)

• On Israeli-Jordanian Relations:

  • "Jordan tries to stay quiet and keep its head down. For all these reasons, nobody talks about Jordan." (15:19)

• On the Impossibility of a Fully Independent West Bank State:

  • "There isn't a scenario in which that's not a rump state dependent for its security on Israel and for its economic prosperity on economic integration into the Israeli economy." (21:12)

• On Jordan’s Reluctance:

  • "Jordan is not on board with any of this. But the fact that nobody will talk about it because it's uncomfortable ... Jordan’s role today is incredibly useful to the Israelis. And Jordan's potential role in the future is something the monarchy doesn't want to be." (26:58)

• Closing Reflection:

  • "Jordan is both central to everything happening and almost completely invisible, and many, many different parties and aspects of this conflict make it so." (29:47)

Important Timestamps

• 00:05: Opening listener question: Jordan’s role in the conflict
• 00:15–05:50: Jordan in 1948, origins of the West Bank, Israel’s cabinet debates
• 06:10–09:15: Palestinian integration under Jordan, Jericho Conference, original meaning of Nakba
• 10:00–12:50: Why Jordan is absent from mainstream stories; difference with Egypt’s role in Gaza
• 13:00–15:20: Quiet cooperation and border security between Jordan and Israel
• 18:45–24:00: Fantasy of peace and a confederation vision; Jordan’s future potential role
• 23:16–27:40: Jordan's demographics, crackdown on Islamists, national identity projects
• 29:20: Conclusion: Jordan’s enduring but hidden centrality

Conclusion

Haviv Rettig Gur’s deep dive in this episode unpacks why Jordan, despite playing a critical, formative, and potentially future-shaping role in the Israeli-Palestinian landscape, is deliberately kept offstage in most narratives—by Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, and the wider region. Jordan stands as both a pillar and a shadow, crucial to understanding both the history and possible futures of the conflict. The host invites listeners to rethink popular assumptions and consider Jordan’s indispensable, if uncomfortable, part in the past, present, and perhaps, one day, the peace.