“Jordanians” do not include Palestinians

By Ted Belman

King Abdullah recently visited the Northern Badia tribal leaders and stressed the need for unity. By that he means that the Bedouin tribes and the King must stick together.

The leadership for its part, pledged allegiance to the King and said “This country belongs to all Jordanians,”

Retired Lt. Col. Faraj Fawaareh said his tribesmen pledge that they will sacrifice to protect the Kingdom and will not allow anyone to “cross this red line”, commending the King’s reform efforts.

But for them, what they refer to as “Jordanians”, does not include the Palestinians who constitute 75% of the population. In fact the Bedouin are insisting that the citizenship of the Palestinians be revoked.

Mudar Zahran believes that this alliance cannot stand the test of time, but apparently it is. At a minimum, the balance of power will shift from the King to the Bedouin. They will find a new accommodation.