Jordan Revokes Citizenship for Palestinian-Jordanians

The Kingdom of Jordan has been a major source for the trouble the Palestinian people have gone through since 1948. When the Arab states decided to reject the partitioning of the Palestinian Mandate between Jews and Arabs, there were two competing thoughts of what to do with the land. The Kingdom of Egypt favored establishing the Arab nation-state Palestine. Jordan on the other hand wanted to annex the land and reunite Transjordan. The Arab war against Israel failed and the two ideas implemented themselves separately. Jordan annexed the West Bank while Egypt established the All-Palestine Government in the Gaza Strip to be a puppet state and curb the influence of Jordan among the Palestinians.

Even though Jordan lost control of the West Bank in 1967 they inherited Palestine, its people to be precise. Quickly a majority of Jordan were Palestinians and the Jordanian Arab elite refused to grant the refugees and their children rights. After Jordan fought the Black September civil war against the Palestinians things began to slowly change. Jordan became the only Arab country to allow Palestinians to become citizens and work rather than be forced into craps like in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.

For almost two decades Jordan has been viewed as a moderate Arab state and an example of how Palestinians could avoid being screwed over by their Arab neighbors. However, Jordan is realizing the cultural difference between Jordanians and Palestinian-Jordanians. About seventy percent of Jordanians are now Palestinians. To curb this massive change Jordan is beginning to revoke citizenship to refugees. Jordan is probably worried about becoming a major part of the pretty-much-has-to-exist-but-needs-to-moderate Palestinian state.

Because of that fear and cultural conflict Jordan will hurt Palestinians continuing the cycle of pain that is the Middle East.