THE «JORDANIAN OPTION» FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT: FROM THE «ABDULLAH-HUSSEIN’S PLAN» TO THE D. TRUMP’S «DEAL OF THE CENTURY»

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of the role of the «Jordanian option» for the solution of the Palestinian question, which was embodied in the Middle East by the Hashemite dynasty. As the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, they initiated the pan-Arab movement to create a united Arab state on the lands of the historical «Great Syria» and the Hejaz. In the context of the formation of a mandate system of these territories, the opposition of the Zionist movement and neighboring Arab countries, the Hashemites focused their attention on Palestine. After World War II, the Abdullah Hussein plan was implemented, which resulted in the creation of a federation between Jordan and Arab Palestine. After the loss of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, Jordan maintained administrative and legal ties with the part of Palestine occupied by Israel. Only in 1988, having abandoned its claims to the status of a unified Arab state, Jordan «distanced itself» from the specific forms of the future Palestinian state formation and the time framing of its emergence. By such actions, Jordan «secured» itself from participation in the creation of a Palestinian state what is explained by the fact that the Palestinians play an important role in the country, influencing its demographic and socio-economic component. The peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump in 2018 stipulating the formation of a Jordan-Palestine federation, known as the «Deal of the Century» can be considered as an actual revival of the «Abdullah-Hussein» plan. This indicates that Jordan and in the 20s of the XXIst century still remains an important actor in the settlement of the Palestinian question, on which balanced policy the factual peace in the Middle East will strongly depend.