May
28
Written by:
Dr. Ernie Moore
Friday, May 28, 2010
Some Jordanians, apparently including King Abdullah, are upset that Israel is not surrendering enough of their bargaining chips fast enough to the Palestinians. One facet of their unrest with Israel is the trade agreements that the two nations share.
King Abdullah II of Jordan
When there was animas between Israel and Jordan, obviously there was little exchange between the two nations aside from border disagreements – which were often settled by generals of each nation who met unofficially to work things out sub rosa - according to what one retired Jordanian general told us a few years ago.
Jordan exports about $100 million dollars of their production to Israel and conversely Israel ships somewhere around $130 million to them.
There have been negative Jordanian voices on this subject since 1994, but now the King apparently thinks he can win points with the 70+ % of his citizens who are Palestinians (thus our remark that there is ALREADY a Palestinian state).
What few people are saying in this area of discussion is that the Jordanians are the great beneficiaries – regardless of the $30M trade deficit that currently exists – because Israel also exports tremendous expertise.
A moot point is one that win’s no benefit, and we maintain that cooperating with Israel gets Jordan so much more than just a trade partner. It helps them rise into the modern world in agriculture, hydrology and a host of other areas.
Instead of King Abdullah II standing a bit taller (forgive me) and telling his people the cold hard facts of Israel’s aid to the nation, he is acting like so many Arab leaders and making points off the one nation that has been steadfast as a partner for decades – and before.
It was Israel’s leadership which informed the current regent’s father, King Hussein, that forces in his own nation were plotting his assassination in the 70s. The king dealt with it and died of natural causes years later.
I suppose that expecting King Abdullah to be wiser in spite of the forces against Israel is too much to expect.