Description
On 31 July 1988 King Hussain of Jordan renounced all administrative and legal ties with the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the River Jordan. This initiated a new turning point in the Middle East peace process: what had been the Arab-Israeli conflict became the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. On the face of it, this move was a grand gesture to the Palestinians. But, as Madiha Madfai convincingly demonstrates, behind this action lay a history of anger, anguish and frustration with the Middle East peace process. Dr Madfai presents, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the events culminating in the Jordanian decision to break off ties with the West Bank. She focuses on Jordan's role in the USA's peacemaking efforts during the Carter, Reagan and Bush administrations and examines their objectives, the policies passed and their short- and long-term consequences. The author also explores the collaboration and discord between the USA and Israel and assesses the effects this relationship had on stability in the Middle East. Finally, Dr Madfai explains why the American quest for peace had been unsuccessful and suggests positive steps forward. This book is based on substantial original sources including material from the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman and from the archives of the Crown Prince Hassan and interviews with the key Jordanian and American decision-makers. It makes a major contribution to our understanding of international politics and the Middle East and will be widely read by students and specialists of Middle Eastern studies and international relations.
