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Jordan Relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization
The recrudescent tension between Jordan and the PLO was
symptomatic of their differing visions of an Arab-Israeli
settlement. Jordan accepted UN Security Council resolutions 242 and
338 as the basis for any settlement, including the question of
Palestinian national rights. Within this framework, Jordan demanded
total Israeli withdrawal from all territories occupied in 1967; a
solution to the refugee problem either by repatriation or
compensation; the right of Palestinians to self-determination; and
mutual guarantees for peace. The PLO consistently rejected both 242
and 338 on the ground that the Palestinian people are only
mentioned in the resolutions as refugees and not as a people
deserving a national homeland.
On the issue of self-determination, Hussein agreed with the PLO
that the Palestinians had the right to establish "a national and
political entity," but he refrained from giving his support to a
fully independent Palestinian state, which he saw as a direct
threat, particularly if headed by the PLO. Moreover, he believed
that if he could neutralize the PLO, the West Bank and Gaza Strip
populations would accept an arrangement based on his own federation
plan.
Despite his desire to be the primary Arab negotiator over the
territories, Hussein also realized that his role in any future
negotiations required a clear mandate from the Arab states. He
could not deviate too far from the Arab consensus concerning the
occupied territories for fear of losing badly needed economic aid
or instigating military attacks from Iraq and Syria. As a result,
Hussein chose to participate in the proposed October 1, 1977,
Geneva Conference on the Middle East as a "confrontation state" but
not as the representative of the Palestinians.
Data as of December 1989
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