PSI Hosts a Closed Workshop with Jordanian and Palestinian Experts and Academics

The Politics and Society Institute, in partnership with Masarat Center in Palestine, conducted an intensive and closed workshop on May 27th and 28th to analyze the Israeli-Palestinian situation and the strategic interests of Jordan.

The closed workshop, which spanned two days and consisted of four sessions, included Jordanian and Palestinian experts, politicians, and researchers from the West Bank and within the 1948 occupied territories.

The workshop aimed to discuss the proposed approaches to the peace process between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in light of the significant and ongoing setbacks over the past two decades without making any real progress towards a genuine resolution to the conflict. This includes exploring the options of a two-state solution or a one-state solution, known as the “One State of Equal Rights,” given the current impasse in the negotiation process.

The workshop also addressed the increasing racist practices pursued by Tel Aviv to solidify the concept of a colonial and settler Jewish state and its implementation on the ground. This raises possibilities and questions, notably the scenario of a demographic explosion through the displacement of a large number of Palestinians to Jordan, Sinai, and other countries, in addition to the speculation and potential consequences of the post-collapse or resolution phase of the Palestinian Authority.

The workshop will also address the analysis of the internal Israeli scene, taking into consideration the polarization and successive noticeable shifts of the electoral political center in Israel towards the far-right, and religious extremist forces, accompanied by a significant decline of left-wing forces from the political landscape. This coincides with strategic setbacks in the Arab region following the wave of normalization, which symbolically represented a source of Palestinian strength. Additionally, the workshop will discuss other significant developments, such as the reduction of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) operations.

The workshop will discuss the role of Jordan, its current strategic interests, its effectiveness, trends, and future options. This is especially important considering that Jordan had rejected the “Trump’s Peace Deal” and the unofficial transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem. Jordan has also been actively involved in addressing the severe security tensions that periodically occur in Jerusalem and the West Bank, alongside continuous efforts to de-escalate the situation. Recently, Jordan has held security and diplomatic meetings in Aqaba and participated in activities in Sharm El-Sheikh. It has also been active on the international level in rejecting the repeated incursions and invasions of the holy sites in Jerusalem by Israeli forces and extremists.

Through these discussions, the workshop aims to build a deeper understanding of the current situation in Palestine and Israel, as well as to analyze the Jordanian and Palestinian interests and explore possible solutions and expected scenarios. This includes examining the balance of power and strategic options for all three parties and discussing the future implications on national security, as well as addressing the requirements and aspirations of both Jordan and Palestine in the upcoming phase.