Middle East scholar Pinhas Inbari warns of possible unrest and coup in Jordan, which could have severe implications for Israel

Israel National News: Middle East scholar Pinhas Inbari from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs warns of potential unrest and a coup in Jordan. He believes this event would have serious consequences for Israel, mainly due to the long shared border.

In this scenario, Inbari points out the challenge for Israeli ground forces and draws distinctions between Jordan's current situation and Syria's pre-revolutionary state.

In contrast to Syria, Inbari notes that Jordan lacks armed militias that might march on Amman and force the king to flee, as happened with Assad. However, the key difference lies in the Jordanian public's pro-Islamic sentiment.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the largest party in Jordan, and given the country's economic tensions and divisions between Palestinians and Bedouins, the country is at risk of anarchy similar to what happened in Libya.

Inbari explains that the main internal concern in Jordan is not of terrorist-inspired riots but rather unrest similar to the Syrian uprising, provided Syrian rebel militias do not move south into Jordan. He notes that in Syria, well-trained militias entered Damascus under Turkish guidance, a scenario that Jordan does not currently face.

However, unrest among Bedouins and Palestinians aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood could draw inspiration from Syria and start widespread riots like those in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.

This 'Syrian inspiration' poses a threat that could lead to upheavals in Jordan, potentially resulting in a Syria-like outcome but through different means. Inbari believes such a government upheaval in Jordan would not immediately impact the West Bank due to administrative disarray within the Palestinian Authority, where local uprisings do not necessarily spread across regions.

Israel's concern, according to Inbari, is that a Jordanian internal coup might prompt groups with extreme Islamist affiliations, like Hamas, to seize significant ordinance and direct it toward Israel.

He emphasizes the need to maintain the central Jordanian government to preserve order on both sides and avoid facing an exponentially larger threat than from the Gaza Strip. He advocates for the preservation of the Hashemite government to prevent the enthusiasm seen in Syria from turning into anarchy.

Source: INN  PHOTO: Use according to Section 27 A