Iran-Israel conflict, Jordan in danger from the middle

However, Jordan’s internal situation has put the country’s monarchy under pressure. Even before October 7, there were many challenges within the country and at the border. Ibrahim Saif, a former minister of Jordan and a senior researcher at the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based research institute, said that Jordan’s economy was gradually recovering after the corona virus. But it has suffered a major setback in recent wars.

All eyes are now on the Rafah border area south of Gaza. Millions of Palestinians have taken refuge there. They fear that Israeli forces may launch a ground operation in Rafah very soon. If that happens, the Jordanian protesters may take to the streets again.

Jose Kiro Martínez, a Jordanian expert at the University of York in the UK, said, ‘Usually when the protests are about the country’s internal affairs, the king can remove the prime minister (to appease the protesters). But this time he has nothing to give the protesters. And when he has nothing in his hand to calm people down, he can start beating.’

The country’s security forces have experience in handling protests in Jordan. In the past, many protests in the country have been quelled with arrests and violence. And the longer these protests go on, the more Jordanian security forces hope — the protesters will eventually go home disillusioned. According to analysts, it has already started.

Sen Yom said the protests showed signs of fatigue. Many protesters felt that their actions would not change the situation. Thinking like this, they resigned from the protest-meeting.