Good neighbourly relations: Jordan, Israel and the 1994-2004 peace process

Abstract

In 1994 Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel and set out to create a 'warm peace', and not just an end to hostilities. As such, the treaty sought to stimulate extensive networks of bilateral economic, cultural, societal and security relationships. Dona Stewart argues that, while the treaty itself remains intact, relations between the two states have far from fulfilled expectations. The decade that followed the treaty was turbulent, as the Oslo process collapsed, Rabin was assassinated, violence between Palestinians and Israel escalated and peace failed to deliver expected dividends to Jordan. Stewart approaches this subject through both Jordanian and Israeli perspectives, dissecting the challenges to establishing 'good neighbourly relations' and the obstacles that have prevented the idea of peace from filtering down from government and into the rest of society.