Israel-Jordan Peace, 30 Years On: How to Overcome Challenges and Revamp Relations? (MEI)

Israel and Jordan signed a ground-breaking peace treaty 30 years ago. The two had already cooperated discreetly on issues of strategic importance for decades up to that point. But, it was progress toward Israeli-Palestinian peace — the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO — that enabled their ties to become public and formal.

Israel and Jordan have maintained diplomatic relations, strategic coordination, and even some economic cooperation ever since, but this bilateral peace remained “cold.” It did not lead to much interaction between their peoples and societies. And this bilateral concord faced growing challenges as Israel’s politics shifted more to the right and as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensified. Still, though Jordan recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv last year over Israel’s conduct in the Gaza war and halted joint endeavors, the two countries have continued to work together on water, natural gas, regional security, and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

As the wars in the region rage on, can Israeli-Jordanian relations be revamped, fulfill their potential, and turn “warm?” Can they contribute to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and to a more integrated Middle East? What does the future hold for the bilateral relationship? Please join us for a Middle East Institute webinar that will convene leading Israeli and Jordanian experts and former officials who will discuss these questions and more, assess the current state of bilateral affairs, and share insights generated by MEI’s ongoing Israel-Jordan policy dialogue.

Speakers

Smadar Perry
Senior Middle East Editor, Yediot Ahronot 

Ambassador (ret.) Omar Rifai
Former Jordanian Ambassador to Israel; Executive Board Member, Diplomeds – The Council for Mediterranean Diplomacy

Colonel (res.) Ron Shatzberg
Co-Executive Director, Economic Cooperation Foundation

Yana Abu Taleb
Jordan Director, EcoPeace Middle East

Nimrod Goren 
Senior Fellow for Israeli Affairs, Middle East Institute