Relationship dossier
Jordan
Palestine
Relationship assessment
Close Jordanian-Palestinian ties, shaped by support for Palestinian statehood and Jordan’s role in Jerusalem’s holy sites
Jordan toward Palestine
+70Jordan supports Palestinian statehood and has provided political and practical support to Palestinians. In 1988, Jordan severed its legal and administrative ties to the West Bank, recognizing the Palestinian national movement’s claim to represent Palestinians. Jordan also opposes displacement of Palestinians into its territory and maintains a recognized role in the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Palestine toward Jordan
+60The Palestinian leadership has maintained close relations with Jordan and affirmed Jordan’s special role in the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. A 2013 agreement between King Abdullah II and Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed Jordan’s custodianship of those sites.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship combines sustained Jordanian support for Palestinian self-determination and cooperation with the Palestinian leadership, alongside Jordan’s distinct role in Jerusalem and its security and demographic concerns. Jordan’s 1988 disengagement from the West Bank reshaped the political relationship, while the 2013 agreement reaffirmed an important bilateral arrangement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Jordan has long supported Palestinian statehood and provided political and practical support to Palestinians, while maintaining close ties with the Palestinian leadership. The two governments have affirmed Jordan’s special role in the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Jordan’s 1988 decision to sever its legal and administrative ties to the West Bank, and its firm opposition to displacement of Palestinians into Jordan, also shape the relationship.
Areas of tension
- Jordan’s opposition to displacement of Palestinians into Jordan
- The political and legal status of the West Bank and representation of Palestinians following Jordan’s 1988 disengagement
Key developments
Jordan announced the severance of its legal and administrative ties to the West Bank.
King Abdullah II and Mahmoud Abbas signed an agreement reaffirming Jordan’s custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of current bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of coordination between Jordan and Palestinian authorities on security and border matters varies over time.