Arab nations are coming out with both condemnation and support for Israel as rockets continue to be exchanged with Gaza.
Jordan’s King Abdullah reportedly announced Sunday that he was involved in diplomatic efforts to “halt Israel’s escalation.”
The next day, Jordanian lawmakers called for Israel’s envoy to Amman to be removed from his position in response to what they are calling “crimes committed against [Palestinians] in Jerusalem and Gaza,” according to reports.
Ninety out of 130 members of the Jordanian parliament voted in favor of the expulsion.
“Jordan is striking a somewhat strident tone. This is not surprising, given that Jordan’s population is at least 75 percent Palestinian. In other words, hammering Israel plays well domestically,” said Foundation for Defense of Democracies Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer to The Foreign Desk.
Egypt is echoing King Abdullah’s call on Israel to de-escalate its retaliatory attacks on Gaza in hopes that a ceasefire can be reached.
Egypt does not like Hamas, “but they want to contain conflagrations, as they are not good for Egyptian stability,” explains Schanzer.
However, Israel has thus far rejected ceasefire proposals.
“We will continue to attack and defend, until the fire is stopped, and we will ensure long-term silence,” tweeted Israel’s Foreign Minister Benny Gantz last week.
Since the rocket attacks against Israel began last Monday, reports estimate that Palestinian terrorists have launched 3,200 rockets towards Israel with many being aimed at civilian targets.
Israel has responded to these attacks by firing rockets into Gaza, reportedly targeting buildings housing terrorists or Hamas intelligence and intentionally trying to minimize civilian casualties.
While Israel has received criticism from some Arab countries for its acts of self-preservation, it is also receiving support from one of its newest regional allies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE and Israel normalized relations in August 2020 through the historic Abraham Accords.
“If Hamas does not commit to complete calm, it is dooming the residents of the [Gaza] Strip to a life of suffering. Its leaders must understand that their policies are first and foremost hurting the people of Gaza,” said a senior UAE official according to reports.
“I think it’s fair to say that the Abraham Accords have muted [the UAE’s] more traditional responses during flare ups of this kind,” said Schanzer.
