America gets its money’s worth for its aid to Middle East ally Jordan

The aftermath of the October 7th Hamas massacre has been a melting pot for Middle Eastern countries. The initial regional restructuring that began with the 2020 Abraham Accords is now being tested. States are choosing whether and how to contribute to strengthening regional peace and security.

Fortunately for Americans, Jordan has passed the test as a U.S. ally taking meaningful action for regional security, and the large amount of foreign aid the U.S. promises each year to the Hashemite Kingdom is justified.

Jordan is received Since diplomatic relations were established in 1949, aid from the United States has exceeded $31 billion. Much of that has been achieved in the decades since Jordan made a cold peace with neighboring Israel in 1994.

In 2022, the U.S. State Department agreed A new agreement was signed to provide Jordan with $1.45 billion in aid annually until 2029.The US military also Spent The Pentagon has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help Jordan strengthen its military and protect its borders with Iraq and Syria.

In return, Jordan has long served U.S. interests in the region. It maintains U.S. troops on its soil and provides intelligence and diplomatic support to a myriad of efforts. hundreds of thousands of people We are contributing to the reduction of Syrian refugees and continue to play a constructive role in peace in the Middle East.

For most foreign policymakers, such cooperative efforts would be enough to justify billions of dollars in U.S. aid. But spending on foreign aid has become much more difficult to sell to the American public these days. A growing number of Americans are questioning the value of America’s global engagement, especially the financial cost of supporting allies.

These questions have some common sense roots. After all, why provide aid to countries whose actions are not entirely consistent with American interests? Why give subsidies to countries that fail to spend appropriately to protect their own citizens? What is the point of this expenditure?

Fortunately, Jordan’s actions on April 13 in support of Israel’s defense justified massive bilateral aid funded by American taxpayers. All signs indicate that Jordan, along with Saudi Arabia, provided valuable support when the Iranian attack began.Reuters report Jordanian military aircraft reportedly shot down dozens of Iranian military drones.

According to other reports, Jordan approved The Israel Defense Forces intercept drones and missiles over the kingdom. These measures reflect the kind of burden-sharing that Americans rightly demand from their allies, especially those in the Middle East.

The Jordanian government has assumed significant risks in militarily supporting the defense response of Israel and its allies and partners. Jordan is home to millions of people who claim Palestinian refugee status or who are of Palestinian descent. The presence of this significant population within the country’s borders poses a political threat to the Jordanian monarchical government.

Despite three decades of closeness between Jordan and Israel, most Palestinians’ hatred of Israel and disdain for the Jordanian government’s acceptance of Israel remain unquenched. This smoldering anger means Amman lives in constant fear of a coup.

The October 7 attack raised the possibility of the collapse of the Jordanian government. Large and violent anti-Israel and pro-jihad protests have erupted in the streets of Amman in recent weeks, with many demonstrators also calling for an end to the Hashemite dynasty led by King Abdullah II.

Iran, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood exploit indigenous anger in hopes of removing the Amman regime, installing an Islamist government, and using Amman as a base to attack Israel from yet another direction. and has worked hard to incite these demonstrations.

Iran’s interference follows the regime’s pattern of using proxy militias and lawless groups to achieve its goals.new report A report by the Middle East Media Institute outlines Iraq’s Hezbollah plan to establish a 12,000-strong militia within Jordan’s borders. Iran is invading Jordan using convoys from Iraq loaded with humanitarian aid meant for the Palestinians.

Drug smuggling operations along the Jordan-Syria border are primarily carried out by groups linked to Syrian dictator and Iranian ally Bashar al-Assad, and also present opportunities for funneling weapons to Iran’s opponents. giving.

Strangely enough, claim Reports that Jordanian air force pilot Princess Salma shot down multiple Israeli drones on April 13 gained attention on social media. Although it does not appear to be true, this rumor may have been Iranian disinformation aimed at stirring up Palestinian anger against the royal family.

The Jordanian government’s decision to participate in military action against Iran was historically bold in this context of growing anti-government anger. April 13th will not be the last time Saudi Arabia will have to make difficult decisions as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to unfold.

For now, Americans should be grateful that countries receiving billions of dollars in U.S. aid are resisting Iranian imperialism, defending our ally Israel, and building momentum for regional security cooperation. When it comes to Jordan, what Americans are really spending money on is courage.

David Wilezol is the founder and president of Seventh Floor Strategies, a writing and strategic communications firm in Washington, DC. He previously served as chief speechwriter for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.