Israel believes US-Jordan aid cut could lead to instability

Media sources in Israel have revealed that the government in Tel Aviv is opposed to any cut in aid from the US to Jordan, fearing that it could lead to instability in the regime in Amman. The concerns have been raised as the US considers such action in order to put pressure on Jordan to send a new ambassador to Israel.

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“Israel does not want the intervention of the United States to put pressure on Jordan to return its ambassador to Tel Aviv,” officials told the Jerusalem Post. The anonymous officials pointed out that bilateral relations with Jordan in security and intelligence are good, even though the absence of an ambassador from Amman “is not a good sign”.

The newspaper explained that the Israeli government is putting pressure on the US administration to abandon the plan to cut the $660 million in aid that Washington sends to Jordan every year. “Israel would like to see the Jordanian ambassador return to Israel, but it understands that this would cause a wave of popular rejection in Jordan, and that this could threaten the stability of the regime.”

Jordan has refused to appoint a new ambassador ever since Ali Ayed returned to Amman as the Minister of Media and Communications Affairs in July 2010.