Jordan Watch : Confederation? No Thanks

Monday, May 14, 2007

The state of Jordan has reaffirmed in the last few days its position towards the core issues of the final settlement negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. This has became necessary again after the fiasco that resulted from the report published by Haaretz newspaper which attributed statements to King Abdullah about the possibility of financial compensation to Palestinian refugees rather than the right of return.

The Haaretz report was received as a holy statement by Hamas and other opposition parties in Jordan in addition to the "We hate Jordan" chorus that can be found in the Arab media especially Al Jazeera and Al Quds Al Arabi.

The problem with those commentators and media outlets blinded by hatred is that they have a very short memory. The position of Jordan regarding the right of return has always been in support of the comprehensive deal for the right to return of Palestinian refugees. Jordan has also been very clear on its position regarding the strategic objective of establishing an independent Palestinian state and refusing any linkages to the so-called Jordanian solution advocated by Israel as "alternative home" and by some Jordanian and Palestinian politicians as "confederation".

In an interview with Al Ahram Newspaper published Wednesday May 9th the King was firm again on the position regarding confederation. He said "Any discussion of confederation or federation is premature, and we have no desire to discuss it. The form of the future official Jordanian-Palestinian relationship is something to be decided by both after the establishment of an independent Palestinian state".

I think this is as good and clear as it can be. I am in full support of this position and believe that all the elements of the Jordanian state should work to ratify and promote this position which is for the mutual benefits of the Jordanian and Palestinian people.

On Thursday 10th the Prime Minister Ma'arouf Bakhit visited Al Wehdat camp, the biggest refugee camp in Jordan. He made some important statements regarding the options for future status of Jordanian citizens of Plaestinian origins (refugees of 1948 and 1967). Bakhit said that the constitutional and citizenship rights of all the "refugees" will be maintained until the Palestinian state is established. After that, the refugees will be asked to choose whether to remain Jordanian citizens or become Palestinian citizens with their property rights preserved.

There are many logical reasons of why confederation should be refused by both Jordanians and Palestinians, here are five of them:

1- Confederation before the establishment of the Palestinian state hijacks the historic rights of the Palestinian people and their aspirations for an independent state. Moreover, it is antagonistic to all the resolutions of the UN and international community as well as the Arab League decisions.

2- Confederation before the establishment of a Palestinian state is an escape route for Israel in its objectives of running away from the political and legal obligations of its occupation of Palestine. In addition it will lead to the Jordanian alternative as hoped by the Israeli right wing.

3-Confederation will lead to a complete stagnation in the political and economic reform process in Jordan, albeit currently slow. Confederation will make the priority shifts to the assimilation of the west bank land and people and faltering economy and political rifts and will make the "confederation state" unfit for democracy and reform.

4- The Palestinian political stream is highly divided between the theory of the two-state solution through peace process (promoted by Fatah leadership and independent politicians) and between the armed struglle approach that is still open to all options including the eternal holy fight with Israel. As the Jordanian regime carries the same position as Fatah leadership it will find itself in complete confrontation with the other spectrum of the Palestinian political street including Hamas and its allies.

5- After the two Palestinian intifadas a new generation of Palestinian youth emerged that was trained and brought up in an atmosphere of armed struggles, resistance to Israeli occupation and the sole objective of liberation and establishment of a Palestinian state. This generation of youth has provided a lot of sacrifices, is divided into a plethora of military branches, used to resolving conflicts by weapons and is absolutely in no position to welcome a confederation with Jordan. Any confederation plan will put this generation in confrontation with the Jordanian security obliged to assume security control in the "confederation state" and this is a horrible scenario where the Jordanians and Palestinians will get into armed conflict and our brotheres in the Arab World will enjoy labelling Jordan as an occupation force.

We certainly do not need this scenario, and should never accept or even tolerate the idea of confederation and the Jordanian positions must always be structured around three principles:

1- Supporting the independent Palestinian state as a strategic objective for Jordan.

2- Complete support of the right of return and compensation, together.

3- No confederation options.

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(16) comments

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On May, 15, 2007 6:17 AM , Mohanned
from United States said:

But what about majalis movements and some palastenian figures that are calling for the jordanian role?
I don't know if majali is talking on behalf of himself or on behalf of all jordan since we are used to the idea of people talking on behalf of us!!

On May, 15, 2007 7:55 AM , Salem said:

"We hate Jordan"

Batir, are you relapsing to your old ways? There was never any hatred for Jordan the country or Jordanians the people (who are fused with Palestinians) there is utter revolution at the regime's history of collaboration and systematic attempt to drive a wedge between the two banks.

On May, 15, 2007 10:40 AM , alurdunialhurr
from United States said:

يا سيد الظمقراطيه وحقوق آلانسان باتير وردان ,من قال لك بآن آلشعب آلفلصطيني يوريد آلكمفودرليه مع نظام قمعي مترهل لاحولاولاقوه له وقد مظي علي الزمن وليمكن آستعمله في اي حاله من آلاحوال
آنت تعتزم بآنك آنسان تريد الظمقراطيه في آلاردن ولكنك يعيد عن الظمقراطيه كل البعد من آكبر ركائز الظمقراطيه هي آلتصويت واخد آرآء الشعب آلاردني هل سآلت هدا الشعب آلمسكين ماذا يوريد

On May, 15, 2007 11:25 AM , batir
from Jordan said:

الأردني الحر: أعتقد أن إسمي واضح في المدونة ولا داعي لهذه المسخرة في تغيير الأحرف أثناء الكتابة فهي ليست مضحكة ابدا. ثانيا أنا كتبت بشكل واضح أن الشعب الفلسطيني لا يريد الكونفدرالية مع الأردن لأنه يريد دولة مستقلة، أما إذا كان النظام الأردني قمعيا فهذا رأيك الخاص ولكنه على الأقل لا يقوم بقتل المعارضين له في الشوارع ولا نصفية حساباته بالرصاص.

Salem; yes my dear the regime has the history of collaboration and Jordanians are the traitors and all other Arans are heros. If Jordan did not exist the Arab World would be like the EU now.
Mohannad; I think Majali's movement is isolated and was not based on societal consultation but again as you said consultation is a rarity in this country.

On May, 15, 2007 6:38 PM , alurdunialhurr
from United States said:

Batir ,Salam didn't say Jordanian are traitors,you said that,please don't put words in people's mouth
Mashhoor Hadithah and millions of Jordanians consider them selves in the forth front of this conflict,just to name few Sultan Al Algloni is my Jordanian hero who is setting in Israeli jails ,just go and ask his mother,what she think of her son and the conflict and many others like him who will never be convinsed by your divide and conquer talk

On May, 15, 2007 6:59 PM , Mohanned
from United States said:

Batir,
Did you read about the cancelation of the kings trip to ramalla? I have read something on debka, some people also say it was a security concern..But I can assure you that palastenians will welcome the jordanian role thanks to zeit o za3tr government!

On May, 16, 2007 9:25 AM , Salem said:

Batir, just when I thought you have reformed, you prove to be resistance to decency. the Jordanian regime, to secure its place, has been on a mission to drive wedges between east and west bankers, between Sunnis and Shiites, between northern and southern Jordanians, between Muslims and Christians . With this latest post, you have proven that you are nothing more than a tool of the regime. The regime's only true friends are the neo-cons, the zionists, and Iblees.

On May, 16, 2007 11:10 AM , batir
from Jordan said:

Salem, I am not a tool of the regime. However, I would be honored to be a tool of the regime against people who are trying to destablize te country and inflict hatred between the people and use Jordan as a backyard for engagement in ideological fights. The satbility and wellbeing of my country is my only priority and if it needs to be tool of the regime to achieve this, then so be it. I will chose the regime over all political powers that want to destablize the country. For me confederation is a recepie for disaster and I firmly stand with the regime in refusing it. If the regime accepts confederation, I will stand against it, no question about that. And remember that it is not heroic to hide behind a false name and distribute honor credits on other people as you like.

On May, 17, 2007 7:53 AM , Babe said:

you keep changing the subject. this is simply about your attempt to lump jordan and its people with the regime.

Using your real name does not reflect courage, it reflects your longing for pay day. I hide it to avoid trouble. so don't turn your opportunism into heroism.

On May, 17, 2007 8:50 AM , alurdunialhurr
from United States said:

<a href = "http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/world/middleeast/16mideast.html?_">Ya right mohannad thanks to the mansaf government</a>

On May, 18, 2007 12:12 PM , Alessandra
from Italy said:

Salem, I don't know why you should be always a "tool" of someone: you are a "tool" of USA, of Israel and of "zionists", if you try to respect the peace with them, you are a "toll" of a regime if you aren't totally against it and you don't see other alternatives to keep stability and security in a country... .

On May, 20, 2007 5:55 PM , OmAr
from Jordan said:

"Any discussion of confederation or federation is premature"
how do you conclude from the above statement a complete and a clear rejection to the idea of confederation? When someone says it's not the time for this topic to be discussed, it doesn't mean that he doesn't approve it! fact is, it implies that he wants it!

I'm completely and harshly against any sort of confederation, was it before or after establishing a Palestinian state, but I don't agree with the points you raised, if anything, a confederation between a democratic and a dictatorial state will result into a disaster, this generation of Palestinians whom you referred to as close-minded gangsters will never accept the Hashemite regime because they're not trained to do so. And by generalizing what's happening in Gaza to include all the young Palestinian generation seems to be truly shocking! introduce yourself more to the young generation and you'll be amazed.

btw, about the whole king-Haaretz fiasco, do you really think that a sane person would go to the Israelis and say: hey, what I mean by a fair and a just solution to the refugees issue is those 4.5 million people to be transferred to your country?!

On May, 21, 2007 1:09 AM , Anon said:

Some times I wonder how communists and marxists support islamists while they don't believe in God, you see people saying that "that a sane person would go to the Israelis and say: hey, what I mean by a fair and a just solution to the refugees issue is those 4.5 million people to be transferred to your country?!" and yet if he did say that it is impossible then he is a traitor, if he didn't then he is insane!
Democracy in Gaza, this is the best joke I have ever heard!!They are killing each other over there and soon they will follow the iraqi steps!! I didn't see batir saying gangsters? Or this what they are in your deep unconcious mind? We don't really know! It is really really sad and funny to see "me-in-jordan" complainig about "him-in-jordan"!!
You gotta love the hypocracy when it comes from ARABS!!
Good luck!

On May, 21, 2007 7:19 AM , alurdunialhurr
from United States said:

Anon,,Make no mistake about it ,there is no palestanian civil war ,there is a war being waged against Palestanian fot 75 yaers
<a href = "http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17726.htm">Palestinian Pinochet Making His Move?

</a>

On May, 21, 2007 6:00 PM , OmAr
from Jordan said:

to Anon (of course!),
"and yet if he did say that it is impossible then he is a traitor, if he didn't then he is insane". use your mind a little, what I meant by my question was very clear, when you're in an interview with an Israeli newspaper, it's impossible to say such a thing like "those 4.5 millions must be transferred to Israel now", therefore it's out of the question that he said such a thing during the interview, it's obvious that if he talked about a solution to the refugees issue it would be the financial compensations proposals and not the transfer! get it?

"Democracy in Gaza, this is the best joke I have ever heard!", I'm laughing my ass up here! LOL! who said anything about democracy in Gaza?! you thought we're talking about a confederation with Gaza?! HAHA, dude, how the hell do you think a confederation between the Kingdom of Jordan and Gaza strip would work? through telepathy?
"I didn't see batir saying gangsters?"
"is divided into a plethora of military branches, used to resolving conflicts by weapons and is absolutely in no position to welcome a confederation with Jordan." that's a description of close-minded gangsters, and yes, I do think that those fighting in Gaza are gangsters but I won't generalize like batir.
Thanks dude, and get yourself a life, (and a name won't kill you!)

On May, 25, 2007 8:39 PM , batir
from Jordan said:

OmAr I did not mention the gangsters in my post. I just focused on the tendency to resolve conflicts by weapons and that is a natural result of occupation. I did not generalize and only highlihted the politically active groups. As for the gangsters, they are there but not in political terms. As you know, plenty of groups are armed and take "khawas" from business men for their protection. I did not mention those in my post.

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