Meetings
Several meetings between high-ranking Jordanian and Israeli officials occurred this quarter, focusing on bilateral and regional affairs and projects stemming from the Jordan-Israel peace treaty: King Hussein met with PM Rabin in Aqaba on 3/9; Israeli FM Peres and Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan met in the presence of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn on 3/15; on the same day, Israeli Dep. FM Yossi Beilin and Jordanian FM 'Abd al-Karim al-Kabariti met in Amman; FM Peres met Jordan's Crown Prince Hassan in Amman on 4/24; PM Rabin toured Jordan's historical sites with King Hussein and Queen Nur on 5/1; and PM Rabin met Crown Prince Hassan in Amman on 5/2.
Diplomatic Relations
On 4/6, Jordan's first ambassador to Israel, Marwan Muasher, arrived in Tel Aviv and Israel's first ambassador to Jordan, Shimon Shamir, arrived in Amman to take their posts.
Cooperation
By 5/10, 24 subsidiary agreements (covering aviation, agriculture, development, energy, the environment, tourism, trade, water, and so on) had been concluded and signed in accordance with the 10/26 treaty. The first Jordanian commercial flight was permitted to cross through Israeli airspace on 3/10. On 4/3, Israel requested the UN remove its Truce Supervision Organization observer force from the Jordan-Israel border.
economic cooperation: on 3/13 on trade, transportation, and water; on 4/2 and 4/4 (with the U.S.) to discuss the Red Sea-Dead Sea canal and other water projects; on 4/4 (with Egpt and the U.S.) on joint projects (esp. fisheries); and on 4/24 (with 250 business and government representatives fr. Jordan, Israel, and the U.S.) to discuss water energy, telecommunications, transportation, environment, and trade. Israel also used its good offices in lobbying Congress to go through with plans (cut back by the House 3/3 and the Senate 3/16) to forgive Jordan's debt.
Despite these successes, relations were strained by Sen. Robert Dole's initiative to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, Rep. Newt Gingrich's companion bill (both 5/9), and Israeli land expropriations in East Jerusalem (4/27, 5/3). After the 4/27 seizure, Jordan allowed a previously banned antinormalization rally; many parliament members called for a suspension of the 10/26 treaty; and few Jordanian officials invited to Israel's independence day celebration in Amman 5/4 attended. Following Israel's suspension of the 4/27 seizure on 5/22, Jordan again banned the antinormalization rally.
Even before the Jerusalem issues arose, there was a growing sense of discontent with the peace agreement at the popular level. On 2/21, opposition members of parliament filibustered to delay the vote on a bill (accepted by the cabinet 2/11) to repeal trade and land-owning laws that contravene the Jordan-Israel treaty. (The bill will come up for vote again when parliament reconvenes this summer.) A number of unions, most notably the Dentists' Association (4/25), banned members from treating or working with Israelis (man of whom have been coming to Jordanor cheaper medical attention since signing of peace treaty); and incidents of Israeli tourists defacing historical sites were reported.