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Middle East Review of International Affairs
Changes and Continuities in Jordanian Foreign Policy
by Brent E. Sasley
*
Abstract
Studies of Jordanian foreign policy have most often focused on that country's small size and geographical location--and consequently external and material factors--as constraining and shaping Jordan's foreign policy. While this approach is certainly valid, it has also led to neglect of the domestic political, economic, or personal components of Jordanian foreign policy.(1) This article tries to redress the balance regarding these often-forgotten factors. In this context, it also analyzes whether or how the change in leadership between the late King Hussein and current King Abdallah II has affected these issues.
To this end, the article first examines Jordan's historical and long-standing domestic concerns followed by a consideration of Amman's traditional security and foreign interests and policies under King Hussein. The next section discusses the lines of regional policy followed by the new King Abdallah II in comparison to his father's foreign policies. Finally, the conclusion offers some preliminary thoughts on the future of Jordanian foreign policy.
Jordan has always been viewed as not being strong enough to direct regional politics on its own. Susceptible to the wishes of its more powerful neighbors, Amman has usually followed a conservative foreign policy, including the reliance on international allies, to maintain its independence and avoid involvement in destructive wars and outright invasion.(2) In fact, its vulnerability has often been cited as the key to understanding its foreign policies. These vulnerabilities can be found in both internal and external sources.
Pivotal to regional stability, because of its location between Israel and Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria,(3) Jordan is a small, poor country geographically trapped between stronger and more aggressive neighbors. This factor is coupled with its internal demographic problem of having a large Palestinian population (about 60 percent by some estimates) that does not see itself as completely Jordanian. Together, these concerns--both domestic and external--and their political and economic corollaries have occupied the bulk of the attention of Jordanian policymakers.
The foremost policymaker has always been the monarch, from the country's first emir, Abdallah, through Kings Hussein and now Abdallah II. Because of this personal involvement in politics, and despite or because of the aforementioned geostrategic factors, Amman has traditionally felt it has an important role to play in regional politics, particularly as they relate to the Arab-Israeli relationships and the Muslim holy places.(4) Because of this, Jordan's interests and ambitions have tended to exceed its resources, and this has contributed significantly to Jordanian foreign policy.
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Endnotes
Note *: Brent E. Sasley is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at McGill University. His research areas include Middle Eastern politics, Caspian Sea energy politics, and international security. His co-edited book (with Tami Jacoby), Redefining Security in the Middle East, is forthcoming from Manchester University Press. Back