Jordan between immunity and resilience

Yet, this immunity has never been beyond testing. The geopolitical dimension of Jordan has constantly placed it in the heart of the storm, as it is located in the midst of a volatile region where conflicts intersect and regional and international projects compete. Furthermore, its organic and historical connection to the Palestinian cause, as a central issue for the Jordanian state, and the resulting stances and responsibilities, have made it susceptible to continuous pressures and challenges. Among the most dangerous of these challenges are the attempts by those lurking to tamper with the national fabric and cast doubt on national unity, in an effort to weaken the internal front as the first line of defense. However, the state’s immunity thwarted these schemes before they achieved their ends, and when some were carried out through the gateway of terrorism or sedition, the state’s resilience emerged in containing and ending them, so they did not turn into a threat that affects the supreme interests of the state or destabilizes it. The state faced the terrorist operations that targeted it with the mind of a state, not its emotions, and with a cohesive institutional approach that defeated the goals of the perpetrators, so Jordan emerged from them more solid and with a stronger fabric.

The test was not limited to internal threats, but extended to the repercussions of regional conflicts imposed by its geographical location. The most recent was what the region witnessed during the military confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, when Jordanian airspace was exposed to repeated attempts at breach by missiles and drones. In this test, immunity and resilience were both manifested: immunity represented in the readiness of the Royal Air Force and air defense systems that confronted the penetrating objects within their defensive jurisdiction, and resilience appeared in managing the situation internally through clear communication, responsible official media, directives to citizens to maintain public safety, and calls not to be drawn into rumors. Throughout that stage, Jordan maintained an unchangeable constant: that its lands and airspace are not an arena for others' conflicts, and that its sovereignty is not negotiable under any circumstances. Perhaps the truest measure of a state's resilience is that life in it continues normally during and after the event; a state whose institutions continue their work, and where people’s daily affairs are organized without interruption or confusion, is a highly resilient state that does not allow a challenge to turn into a threat. This is precisely what an observer of Jordanian internal affairs notices, as the wheel of life continued to turn regularly despite the crises and tensions surrounding the Kingdom.

The Jordanian experience presents a model of a state that did not rely on immunity alone, nor was it content with resilience only when crises occurred, but combined both in a balanced equation: immunity based on the legitimacy of the wise Hashemite leadership led by His Majesty the King—always with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince by his side—and the solidity of the constitution, the strength of the institutions, and the cohesion of a society that loves its land and leadership; and resilience based on competence, professionalism, and rational handling of events. In a region whose storms never subside, this equation remains the true guarantee for the continuity and stability of the Jordanian state, and its ability to transform challenges into additional sources of strength.