The Hashemite Connection

This report first examines the basic orientations of the Hashemite dynasty and Kingdom towards Palestine and the Palestinian people in the light of pan-Arab, Israeli and international dimensions of the issue. The major policies since the 1967 loss of the West Bank are examined to demonstrate the application of these orientations to policy decisions. The three major policy decisions of the 1980s; the agreement of King Husayn and Yasir Arafat of 1985, the suspension of the agreement in 1986 and the disengagement decision of 1988 are examined in detail. The current state of Jordanian-Palestinian people for Jordan: those of the PLO, the occupied territories and the Jordanians of Palestinian origin in the Hashemite Kingdom. The new relationship might enhance the stability of a settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, even if it removes Jordan as the key player in attaining such a settlement. Keywords: Public relations, Jordan, Palestine, Foreign government.