A landmark peace deal that changed the face of the Middle East | World News

The 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty was symbolic of the end of the 46-year war between the two countries.

As in the 1990s, including the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 – this was a period of symbolism and hope for the Middle East.

But behind the hope of this agreement for the relationship between Israel and Jordan, there is tension and resistance from the country.

Thirty years later, the Middle East is gripped by conflict and relations between Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Iran have soured since the October 7 attacks.

From the relative peace of the 1990s, to the present day where all-out war is possible – how can the Middle East learn from the past?

What was the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty?

The Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which established the peace process between Israel and Jordan, allowed Jordan to sign a formal peace treaty with its neighbour.

The 1994 peace treaty meant that Jordan was the second Arab country after Egypt to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.

Fawaz Gerges is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE) and specializes in international relations in the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He told me Metro Although the agreement was an important change to end the war, the results were not all positive.

“The 1994 peace agreement between Jordan and Israel undermined Palestinian efforts for self-determination and an independent state,” he said.

‘The deal also undermines the ability of other Arab countries, especially Syria, to confront Israel militarily in order to recover the land it occupied.’

Meanwhile, former diplomat Sir John Jenkins, fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House, said Metro it pitted the nations of the Middle East against one another.

‘It signals that Jordan accepts this new acquisition – as it seems at the time – and its rejection – like Syria – which remains impolite,’ he said.

‘This shows that a new Arab group is emerging from those who want peace instead of endless confrontation. This includes Egypt and the Gulf countries.’

What does the agreement mean for different Middle Eastern countries?

The agreement was symbolically impressive – signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan in the desert area of ​​Wadi Araba on the Israeli-Jordanian border.

It was also attended by US President Bill Clinton and watched by 5,000 guests and broadcast to the world on TV.

But many Palestinians, who make up 60% of Jordan’s population, are angry and shocked by a peace deal they believe has failed to address their grievances.

The treaty means that Israel and Jordan agree to exchange territory and make their borders correspond to geographic landmarks.

It paves the way for cooperation in trade, tourism, transport links, water resources and environmental protection and secures Israel’s longest land border.

This feeling that the Palestinians feel like they are not getting a good deal for themselves, which Professor Gerges believes leads to future destruction – led by Iran.

He said: ‘The collapse of the Arab state system with the exception of Egypt and Jordan from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict provides revolutionary Iran with an opportunity to champion the Palestinian cause.

‘By abandoning Palestine, the Arab states unwittingly allowed Iran to fill this power vacuum as well as support local resistance groups like the proxies Hezbollah and Hamas known as the ‘axis of resistance’.

How did extremist groups react to the agreement?

When the Oslo Accords were agreed upon, groups did everything in their power to disrupt the peace process.

Just eight days before the Israel-Jordan peace deal was agreed, Hamas claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that killed 22 people.

The group also accused President Clinton of double standards and vowed to continue the campaign of violence ‘everywhere in the world’.

But it is not only Hamas that has caused tension as Rabin was assassinated by right-wing Israeli extremists in 1995 for signing the Oslo Accords.

What lessons can Middle Eastern countries learn from these agreements?

So what lessons can countries in the Middle East learn from this and what is the way forward for this conflict-torn region?

Professor Gerges said: ‘One of the great lessons for Israel is that without granting Palestinian self-determination and ending the occupation of Palestinian land, top-down relations with Arab regimes will not bring security and peace.

‘Lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict requires genuine reconciliation between the two direct antagonists.

Despite this official peace treaty, Jordan remains strongly opposed to the normalization of relations with Israel. Thirty years later, there was a cold peace, not embracing Israel in Jordan or Egypt.’

Sir Jenkins added that countries including Lebanon have fallen victim to the wider political violence that has engulfed the region.

He said: ‘Palestine is not the cause of the region’s problems, but is key to ongoing efforts to resolve them. Israel had an opportunity to strengthen settlements in the 1990s.

“It is not clear whether this can be achieved even under Rabin: he wants to establish the independence of Palestine which cannot be a state, especially in terms of security. But it is the best chance we have.

‘This has only become clearer in the 30 years since then – as Israel’s views under the pressure of the second intifada, political violence and the rise of Hamas have progressed further.

“Lebanon is a victim of all this, not least because the Palestinian issue gives Iran the opportunity to colonize the Lebanese state from within through Hezbollah.

‘Lebanon is now a hostage in the struggle between Iran and Israel.‘

Professor Gerges also noted how support for Hamas has skyrocketed in Jordan since the October 7 attack – threatening to destabilize the nation.

He added: ‘The way forward is very clear – peace and security for Israel and peace and security for Palestine.

‘It means ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and giving Palestine self-determination, which automatically undermines Iran’s ability to interfere in Palestinian affairs.’

Contact the news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.

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