Discussions began in 1994. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres informed King Hussein that Jordan could be “excluded from the big game” after the Oslo Accords with the PLO. Hussein consulted with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. Mubarak encouraged him, but Assad told him to just “talk” and not sign an agreement. US President Bill Clinton pressured Hussein to start peace negotiations and sign a peace treaty with Israel and promised to cancel Jordan`s debt. The efforts were successful and Jordan signed a non-war agreement with Israel. Rabin, Hussein and Clinton signed the Washington Declaration on July 25, 1994 in Washington, D.C. [5] The statement states that Israel and Jordan have ended the official state of hostility and would enter into negotiations to achieve “an end to the bloodshed and suffering” and a just and lasting peace. [6] October 26, 2019 marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel. A quarter of a century later, relations between the two countries are still mired in disputes and difficulties, and despite the importance of the event, no special celebrations were planned. Although the challenges for both states are complex, both sides benefit from the agreement.
The fact that the peace treaty has been going on for two and a half decades amid the chaos and unrest afflicting the region is certainly a cause for celebration and optimism. In addition, negotiating a peace treaty with Israel would also pave the way for a speedy restoration of relations with Washington. Clinton enthusiastically supported the peace process. A Jordanian treaty would gain his support and help him sell the resumption of bilateral relations with Jordan to Americans who are still angry about the war in Iraq, especially congress. The king still didn`t really understand how much his ties to Saddam Hussein had damaged his image with the Americans. As angry as Amman is against Israeli policy on the Temple Mount and Jordan Valley, the peace treaty is not in immediate danger, Rantawi stressed. King Abdullah II “considers peace between Palestinians and Israelis as the cornerstone of peace and stability in our region and the world,” Majali added, stressing that the king considers Israeli-Palestinian peace a top priority. On July 25, 1994, Clinton read the statement on the White House lawn and Rabin and Hussein signed it. This ended the state of war. Israel has officially pledged to respect the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Muslim holy sites of Jerusalem. All three gave speeches, but the king`s speech received the most attention.
His speech contained a clear and unqualified statement that the state of war was over. He spoke of the realization of peace as the fulfillment of his lifelong dream. The king`s reluctance to extend the lease could be the result of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu`s announcement that he would annex the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea if re-elected prime minister (which is not yet clear at the time of writing). Netanyahu`s statement was made primarily for domestic political reasons in the run-up to an election and should be treated with caution. It is not clear whether he really intends to annex the territories, but this was of little importance to King Abdullah. The king`s decision not to renew the leases was also made for domestic political reasons and was aimed at silencing the many voices calling for a complete annulment of the agreement. I was in Aqaba when Clinton staged the now iconic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat at the White House. A few months after his imprisonment, the king personally brought Shubeilat, his fiercest critic, back to Swaqa prison. [23] However, the crackdown prompted opposition groups in Jordan to boycott the 1997 parliamentary elections. [20] In 1998, Jordan rejected a covert request by Netanyahu to attack Iraq using Jordanian airspace after claiming saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. [20] The thorny issue of administration and access to Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem is also a constant source of tension between the two sides.
There is growing internal pressure in Israel to limit the power of the Jordan-funded Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem and allow Israeli institutions to play a greater role in the management and use of the city`s holy sites. For King Abdullah, however, his role as guardian of Jerusalem`s Muslim holy sites helps bolster his legitimacy, both among his citizens and among other Muslim countries – although this role has been repeatedly challenged by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Turkey and even Saudi Arabia. “The border was dangerous, but both sides turned it into a border of peace and stability,” he said. Annex I deals with borders and sovereignty. Section I (a) establishes an “administrative border” between Jordan and the West Bank occupied by Israel in 1967, without prejudice to the status of that territory. Israel recognizes Jordan`s sovereignty over the Naharayim/Baqura area (including the Island of Peace) and the Tzofar/Al Ghamr area. [9] Annex II deals with water and related matters. In accordance with article 6 of the Treaty, Jordan and Israel agreed to establish a “Joint Water Committee” (Article VII). [10] Annex III deals with crime and illegal drugs.
[11] Annex IV concerns the environment. [12] Annex V concerns border crossings, passports and visas. Article 6 provides: “Each Party shall have the right to refuse entry to a person in accordance with its rules.” [13] The agreed protocol to the treaty contains some details on the implementation of the peace treaty. [14] A handshake between King Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin, accompanied by President Clinton, during Israeli-Jordanian peace negotiations, July 25, 1994 A number of factors brought the two sides closer together and ultimately helped pave the way for the 1994 peace agreement: they share a common border (Israel`s longest), represent a Western vision, are supported by the West. and are exposed to similar threats. After the treaty, the two states signed 16 other sub-agreements covering various specific issues. The bilateral agreement included provisions on important areas such as borders, normalization, security, Jerusalem and holy sites, water and infrastructure. While there may now be a rift between the two sides in most, if not all, of these areas, and some of them will be quite difficult to resolve, the agreement ultimately endured and remains in force.
Even if there are occasional votes calling for cancellation, the chances of this happening are pretty slim. Maintaining the agreement is important to both countries and essential to their national security. Air transport: A “pilot project” has been activated in which Aqaba airport is used for flights from Europe that bring tourists to Eilat. With the completion of the new terminal on the Israeli side, all international flights currently landing at Ovda and Eilat airports will be transferred to Aqaba-Eilat Peace Airport. In addition, the number of flights between Amman and Ben Gurion Airport has been increased to 14 this year and a new route has been introduced that connects Amman to Haifa twice a week. .
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