https://www.memri.org/reports/saudi...-hamas-muslim-brotherhood-overthrow-jordanian
The intensive protests in Jordan against the war in Gaza are a source of concern for the Gulf states, which regard them as an attempt by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement and Iran to agitate the masses and ultimately overthrow the Jordanian regime, as well as other regimes in the region.[1]
Since Hamas' October 7, 2023 terror attack in southern Israel and the outbreak of the ensuing war in Gaza, which has been ongoing for six months, Hamas officials, who are supported by the MB and Iran, have been calling on the people of Jordan to escalate the protests in the kingdom and join the fight against Israel by opening a front against it from this country.[2] These calls increased the scope and intensity of the protests, which take place throughout the country but especially in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Amman, where thousands of young men gather every evening to "besiege the embassy building," chanting slogans in praise of Hamas' leaders and against the Jordanian king. Elements close to the MB have also called to stir up popular unrest in other Arab countries that maintain ties with Israel.[3]
Both Jordan and its Arab allies, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Palestinian Authority (PA), accuse Hamas and its patrons – the MB and Iran[4] – of using the war in Gaza to destabilize the Jordanian kingdom, overthrow its regime and even instigate chaos and a new "Arab Spring" in the region. As the protests in the kingdom intensified, Arab leaders stressed that they stand with their ally Jordan. For example, UAE President Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed emphasized, in an April 1 phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah II, that his country stands with Jordan in defending its security and stability.[5]Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman made similar remarks in an April 3 phone call with the Jordanian king, clarifying that Saudi Arabia supports Jordan's efforts to safeguard its stability.[6]PA President Mahmoud Abbas called the king as well, and underscored "the support of the Palestinian leadership and people for the Jordanian kingdom, their objection to every attempt to undermine its security and stability or to exploit the suffering of the Palestinian people in the [Gaza] Strip to harm Jordan, [and their objection to] any foreign intervention in Jordan's affairs."[7]
This complete support for the Jordanian kingdom also found expression in many articles in the Saudi and Emirati press. An editorial of the Emirati daily Al-Khalij underscored that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security, and stated that the protests in the country are not really meant to serve the Palestinian cause but to destabilize the Arab societies. Other articles in the Saudi and Emirati papers attacked the leaders of Hamas, claiming that they are trying to destroy Jordan in order to cover up their defeat in the Gaza war, and warned about a plot by Iran and the MB to precipitate another Arab Spring in the region. Some articles even claimed that targeting Jordan would be regarded by its Arab allies as a declaration of war, and noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE would act to defend the stability of the Jordanian regime.
Protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Amman (Image: alaraby.co.uk, April 2, 2024)
The following are excerpts from these articles in the Saudi and Emirati press:
Editorial In Emirati Daily: The Incitement Harms The Palestinian Cause; The Arab Spring Revolutions Must Not Recur
The April 2 editorial of the daily Al-Khalij stated that the organizations currently fomenting unrest in Jordan do not really care about the Palestinian issue and only want to destabilize Arab societies, and that the experience of the Arab Spring must not repeat itself. It added that the UAE will stand with Jordan in defending its security.
The editorial said: "On the margins of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza, some of the dubious organizations have started trying to exploit the events and use them for purposes that have nothing to do with solidarity with the Palestinian people or with supporting them in stopping this mad war and saving those who have been displaced and harmed by it. The calls of incitement heard in Jordan in the recent days, which are aimed at destabilizing the [Jordanian] kingdom, are proof that evil tongues are trying to sow discord and divert the focus away from support for Palestine towards other directions.
"In a show of solidarity with our sister country [Jordan], [Emirati] President Muhammad bin Zayed Aal Nahyan phoned his brother King Abdullah II bin Hussein and spoke to him about the situation in Jordan, stressing that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security and safeguarding its stability…
"By means of protests that are not innocent, certain local and regional elements are trying to brandish populist slogans against Jordan's position on the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem… When Israel's war on Gaza began, some Arabs began warning about the possible dangers and implications for the regional stability, and they were right. This escalation, which has crossed every line, threatens to cause a deterioration that will end very badly and will benefit the extremist organizations that have no agenda whatsoever except destroying and destabilizing societies. What some of the regional countries experienced several years ago as part of the so-called Arab Spring is not far from [repeating itself]. That bitter experience yielded nothing but chaos and a threat to the foundations of the nation-state. Nor did it liberate Palestine, contrary to the claim of some who infiltrated those events. As a matter of fact, it made things worse. Therefore, this [experience] must not repeat itself. The region will overcome this trouble with determination, and Palestine will triumph one day thanks to the loyalty of the loyal and the wisdom of the honest, not thanks to incitement to chaos and the sowing of destruction."[8]
Saudi Writer: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, And The UAE Will Consider The Targeting Of Jordan As A Declaration Of War
In his column in the Saudi daily Al-Majala, journalist Khaled Al-Ghanami warned that the protests organized by the MB in Jordan are orchestrated by Iran with the aim of overthrowing Jordan's Hashemite regime, and stressed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE will not sit idly by in the face of this danger.
He wrote: "…The riots periodically instigated by the MB in Amman are nothing but early signs of [their intention to] call for a blood-soaked revolution in Jordan against the Hashemite government. The riots that periodically break out in Jordan undoubtedly take place on orders and instructions from Iran, since the ties between Iran and the MB are longstanding…
"If Jordan falls, God forbid, this will not restore Palestine. In fact, it will be a large step towards bringing the Palestinian issue to an unjust end, causing the people of the West Bank to emigrate to the Hashemite kingdom. That is the plan of the so-called resistance axis…
"The moderate axis, represented by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, will not sit idly by, but will regard any targeting of Jordan as a declaration of war… Iran must understand this well, since not all violations are allowed to pass [without response]…"[9]
Saudi Journalist: The Protests In Jordan Herald A New Arab Spring Instigated By Iran And The MB
Journalist Abdallah bin Bjad Al-Otaibi warned in the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat daily that Iran and the MB are exploiting the situation in Gaza to spark riots in Jordan, with the aim of instigating a new Arab Spring in the kingdom and in several other Arab countries.
He wrote: "Graver than the situation in Gaza [itself] is the exploitation of what is happening there by internal and external enemies that are igniting fires in the Arab world. We are witnessing the early signs of a new Arab Spring, manufactured by the same elements, supporters, and agents.
"If the agenda of the destructive Arab Spring that took place more than ten years ago was dictated by the organizations of political Islam, by Iran and by [former U.S. president] Obama, [concealed behind] a thin guise of modern concepts like 'democracy' and 'rights' that soon dissipated… today the agenda [again] has to do with the resistance axis and the political Islam organizations, [and is concealed] under the guise of the Palestinian cause, as it is perceived by the political Islam organizations and by Hamas, not by the Palestinian people and the Arab countries and their peoples. [This guise too] will soon fade away, and the goal of destroying the Arab states will once again be revealed…
"Attempts to instigate new chaos are taking place in more than [one] Arab country… The protests organized in Jordan have changed their goal, replacing the Gaza issue with [an attempt to harm] the Jordanian state, for this is the only country in Al-Sham[10] that, thanks to its strength and unity and the awareness of its leadership, has not succumbed to [the attempts of] the resistance axis to expand into it.
The intensive protests in Jordan against the war in Gaza are a source of concern for the Gulf states, which regard them as an attempt by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) movement and Iran to agitate the masses and ultimately overthrow the Jordanian regime, as well as other regimes in the region.[1]
Since Hamas' October 7, 2023 terror attack in southern Israel and the outbreak of the ensuing war in Gaza, which has been ongoing for six months, Hamas officials, who are supported by the MB and Iran, have been calling on the people of Jordan to escalate the protests in the kingdom and join the fight against Israel by opening a front against it from this country.[2] These calls increased the scope and intensity of the protests, which take place throughout the country but especially in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Amman, where thousands of young men gather every evening to "besiege the embassy building," chanting slogans in praise of Hamas' leaders and against the Jordanian king. Elements close to the MB have also called to stir up popular unrest in other Arab countries that maintain ties with Israel.[3]
Both Jordan and its Arab allies, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Palestinian Authority (PA), accuse Hamas and its patrons – the MB and Iran[4] – of using the war in Gaza to destabilize the Jordanian kingdom, overthrow its regime and even instigate chaos and a new "Arab Spring" in the region. As the protests in the kingdom intensified, Arab leaders stressed that they stand with their ally Jordan. For example, UAE President Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed emphasized, in an April 1 phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah II, that his country stands with Jordan in defending its security and stability.[5]Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman made similar remarks in an April 3 phone call with the Jordanian king, clarifying that Saudi Arabia supports Jordan's efforts to safeguard its stability.[6]PA President Mahmoud Abbas called the king as well, and underscored "the support of the Palestinian leadership and people for the Jordanian kingdom, their objection to every attempt to undermine its security and stability or to exploit the suffering of the Palestinian people in the [Gaza] Strip to harm Jordan, [and their objection to] any foreign intervention in Jordan's affairs."[7]
This complete support for the Jordanian kingdom also found expression in many articles in the Saudi and Emirati press. An editorial of the Emirati daily Al-Khalij underscored that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security, and stated that the protests in the country are not really meant to serve the Palestinian cause but to destabilize the Arab societies. Other articles in the Saudi and Emirati papers attacked the leaders of Hamas, claiming that they are trying to destroy Jordan in order to cover up their defeat in the Gaza war, and warned about a plot by Iran and the MB to precipitate another Arab Spring in the region. Some articles even claimed that targeting Jordan would be regarded by its Arab allies as a declaration of war, and noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE would act to defend the stability of the Jordanian regime.
Protesters outside the Israeli embassy in Amman (Image: alaraby.co.uk, April 2, 2024)
The following are excerpts from these articles in the Saudi and Emirati press:
Editorial In Emirati Daily: The Incitement Harms The Palestinian Cause; The Arab Spring Revolutions Must Not Recur
The April 2 editorial of the daily Al-Khalij stated that the organizations currently fomenting unrest in Jordan do not really care about the Palestinian issue and only want to destabilize Arab societies, and that the experience of the Arab Spring must not repeat itself. It added that the UAE will stand with Jordan in defending its security.
The editorial said: "On the margins of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza, some of the dubious organizations have started trying to exploit the events and use them for purposes that have nothing to do with solidarity with the Palestinian people or with supporting them in stopping this mad war and saving those who have been displaced and harmed by it. The calls of incitement heard in Jordan in the recent days, which are aimed at destabilizing the [Jordanian] kingdom, are proof that evil tongues are trying to sow discord and divert the focus away from support for Palestine towards other directions.
"In a show of solidarity with our sister country [Jordan], [Emirati] President Muhammad bin Zayed Aal Nahyan phoned his brother King Abdullah II bin Hussein and spoke to him about the situation in Jordan, stressing that the UAE stands with Jordan in defending its security and safeguarding its stability…
"By means of protests that are not innocent, certain local and regional elements are trying to brandish populist slogans against Jordan's position on the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem… When Israel's war on Gaza began, some Arabs began warning about the possible dangers and implications for the regional stability, and they were right. This escalation, which has crossed every line, threatens to cause a deterioration that will end very badly and will benefit the extremist organizations that have no agenda whatsoever except destroying and destabilizing societies. What some of the regional countries experienced several years ago as part of the so-called Arab Spring is not far from [repeating itself]. That bitter experience yielded nothing but chaos and a threat to the foundations of the nation-state. Nor did it liberate Palestine, contrary to the claim of some who infiltrated those events. As a matter of fact, it made things worse. Therefore, this [experience] must not repeat itself. The region will overcome this trouble with determination, and Palestine will triumph one day thanks to the loyalty of the loyal and the wisdom of the honest, not thanks to incitement to chaos and the sowing of destruction."[8]
Saudi Writer: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, And The UAE Will Consider The Targeting Of Jordan As A Declaration Of War
In his column in the Saudi daily Al-Majala, journalist Khaled Al-Ghanami warned that the protests organized by the MB in Jordan are orchestrated by Iran with the aim of overthrowing Jordan's Hashemite regime, and stressed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE will not sit idly by in the face of this danger.
He wrote: "…The riots periodically instigated by the MB in Amman are nothing but early signs of [their intention to] call for a blood-soaked revolution in Jordan against the Hashemite government. The riots that periodically break out in Jordan undoubtedly take place on orders and instructions from Iran, since the ties between Iran and the MB are longstanding…
"If Jordan falls, God forbid, this will not restore Palestine. In fact, it will be a large step towards bringing the Palestinian issue to an unjust end, causing the people of the West Bank to emigrate to the Hashemite kingdom. That is the plan of the so-called resistance axis…
"The moderate axis, represented by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, will not sit idly by, but will regard any targeting of Jordan as a declaration of war… Iran must understand this well, since not all violations are allowed to pass [without response]…"[9]
Saudi Journalist: The Protests In Jordan Herald A New Arab Spring Instigated By Iran And The MB
Journalist Abdallah bin Bjad Al-Otaibi warned in the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat daily that Iran and the MB are exploiting the situation in Gaza to spark riots in Jordan, with the aim of instigating a new Arab Spring in the kingdom and in several other Arab countries.
He wrote: "Graver than the situation in Gaza [itself] is the exploitation of what is happening there by internal and external enemies that are igniting fires in the Arab world. We are witnessing the early signs of a new Arab Spring, manufactured by the same elements, supporters, and agents.
"If the agenda of the destructive Arab Spring that took place more than ten years ago was dictated by the organizations of political Islam, by Iran and by [former U.S. president] Obama, [concealed behind] a thin guise of modern concepts like 'democracy' and 'rights' that soon dissipated… today the agenda [again] has to do with the resistance axis and the political Islam organizations, [and is concealed] under the guise of the Palestinian cause, as it is perceived by the political Islam organizations and by Hamas, not by the Palestinian people and the Arab countries and their peoples. [This guise too] will soon fade away, and the goal of destroying the Arab states will once again be revealed…
"Attempts to instigate new chaos are taking place in more than [one] Arab country… The protests organized in Jordan have changed their goal, replacing the Gaza issue with [an attempt to harm] the Jordanian state, for this is the only country in Al-Sham[10] that, thanks to its strength and unity and the awareness of its leadership, has not succumbed to [the attempts of] the resistance axis to expand into it.
