Jordanians are expressing support for the King for his rejection of Trump’s Gaza plan [Getty]
Many Jordanians have expressed support for King Abdullah II following his meeting with US President Donald Trump, where he became the first Arab leader to visit the White House since Trump assumed office.
During his visit, the monarch reiterated Jordan’s rejection of plans to displace Palestinians.
The two leaders met on Tuesday, following Trump’s explosive comments that the US should “own” Gaza and the population should be displaced to allow him to turn the enclave into a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
While King Abdullah appeared reserved in the meeting and alluded to an alternative plan that is going to be revealed by Egypt, he later issued a strong statement on X, firmly reiterating “Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank”.
Many analysts and commentators pointed out that the meeting with Trump came at a delicate time, amidst a fragile ceasefire deal between Gaza and Hamas, possibly explaining the King’s reluctance to talk too much in front of the media.
Some also speculated that the King was unaware there would be a media presence at the meeting.
However, while remaining diplomatic at the meeting, the Jordanian leader also asserted that he would do what was “best” for his country.
His stance has been widely praised by Jordanians, who commended his, and foreign minister Ayman Safadi’s comments saying there is an Arab plan being proposed that will ensure the rebuilding of Gaza without the displacement of its population.
Shift in opinion
Lamis Andoni, a leading expert on Jordanian-Palestinian affairs who launched The New Arab as its editor-in-chief, said there has been a marked shift in how Jordanians see the King as a result of his recent statements.
“During the war [on Gaza] he made many statements, but he kept normalisation deals with Israel, including collaborating with them in terms of economy, fuel and energy agreements. Jordanians didn’t feel like he did enough, but this time around his rejection of the displacement of Gazans to Jordan was seen positively,” she explained.
“They are proud of the position he took because displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is also a prelude to the displacement of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to Jordan – and that is a threat to Jordan on many levels,” she continued.
Andoni further highlighted that any other stance from the king would have resulted in the country being branded as complicit with the US’s plan to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes.
“Jordanians have also always feared Israel making their country a substitute homeland for Palestinians,” she said.
She added that there was initially some hesitation following the King’s meeting with Trump, however, Jordanians voiced their support when the statement on X was published, resulting in an outpour of support.
The unequivocal rejection of Trump’s plan has put the stance of the government in line with public opinion, but all eyes are still on the King to ensure he does not deviate from his comments, Andoni explained.
“There is a lot of support, but it is a matter of wait and see,” she said, adding that there may be some pressure on countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria to accept a compromise.
Initially, the King’s pared-back response was met with criticism online, with some denouncing the way he conducted himself as a “humiliation and disgrace”.
Some people even branded him a “failed student,” and highlighted his body language.
Earlier this month, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi suggested that Amman would take a strong stance against Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forcibly expelled Gaza’s population.
He was quoted as saying: “If there are any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians to Jordan, we will confront them with all our capabilities. This is a declaration of war to Jordan, and we will respond.”
The comments from Safadi come following a brutal war on Gaza which displaced the whole population, and a harrowing assault on the West Bank which has displaced around 40,000 since January this year.
