(Access/Middle East) Shmuel Bar - Jordan has been watching with growing anxiety the meltdown of political and social authority in the West Bank, fearing a spillover of these attributes into Jordan. Jordan fears that cutting the Palestinians off from the Israeli economy with the building of the security fence would create pressures for immigration to the East Bank. In addition, if Israel succeeds in neutralizing Gaza as the seat of Hamas leadership, the organization will put more emphasis on its infrastructure outside the West Bank and Gaza, particularly in Jordan. If the motivation of Hamas to use Jordan as a platform grows, Jordan will be obliged to increase security - with potential repercussions on the loyalty of the Palestinian population. The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy & Strategy, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
2004-04-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive