The relationship between the Zionist movement and the Hashemite royal family was always better than might have been expected. This was evident in the secret contacts with King Abdullah before the 1948 War of Independence.
Relations with King Hussein were also especially good, with Israel viewing Jordan’s existence as a clear Israeli interest (mainly due to concerns about alternative outcomes). Although King Hussein joined the Six-Day War under intense pressure from the Arab world, he deeply regretted the decision. In the 1970s, Israel backed him against Palestinian terrorist organizations and Syria during the events of “Black September.” In return, Hussein warned Israel about the Yom Kippur War, which he did not join. Following the outbreak of the First Intifada, Hussein formally disengaged administratively from the West Bank, effectively relinquishing claims over the territory. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s provided the legitimacy to move forward with formal peace between the two nations.
After relatively simple negotiations and a few minor concessions, the parties gathered for a ceremony in the Arava Valley in October 1994, where Prime Minister Rabin, Foreign Minister Peres, and King Hussein signed an official peace treaty. The peace has largely endured successfully to this day, despite incidents such as attacks, infiltrations, and weapons smuggling, and remains a significant component of Israel’s security strategy.
