Observers sceptical about Hamas plot in kingdom

A leading Islamist on Tuesday said relations between native Jordanians and Palestinian refugees would be “in great danger” if Jordan did not quickly contain the “weapons crisis” with Hamas, following allegations by Amman that the Palestinian group had smuggled weapons into the kingdom with the intent to destabilise it. Zaki Abu Rsheid, newly elected Secretary-General of the Islamic Action Front, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, warned of “catastrophic reverberations on the basic foundations of Jordanian society and relations between native Jordanians and those of Palestinian origin if the crisis escalates”. In an effort to diffuse tension, King Abdullah – who is married to a Jordanian of Palestinian origin – expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people despite the crisis. “What some members of Hamas did against Jordanian national security by smuggling weapons and explosives into Jordan will not affect the historic relationship with the Palestinian brothers,” he said. Hamas, meanwhile, enjoys wide popularity among Palestinians living in Jordan, where it is estimated that 65 per cent of Jordanians are of Palestinian origin. “Neither I, nor anybody else in the kingdom, believe the government's story” that Hamas planned attacks against targets in the kingdom, despite a televised confession by two men arrested in connection with the case, said Abu Rsheid. “Jordan is notorious for torturing inmates during interrogations. Therefore, it’s possible they were forced to confess,” added Abu Rsheid. “They could also be working for a third party – who knows?” According to a poll conducted by the popular Arabic satellite-television channel al-Jazeera, around 90 per cent of respondents said they did not believe that the Palestinian group was to blame. Last week, authorities claimed that Hamas operatives had cased targets in Amman, mainly hotels, ahead of possible attacks, and that it had discovered hidden caches of weapons smuggled into the kingdom for the purpose. Shortly afterward, a group of men appeared on local TV and confessed that they had been ordered by Hamas leaders in Syria to attack targets in Jordan. According to Zuheir Abul Ragheb, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Shura Council, however, Hamas would not likely risk its relations with Jordan at a time when the US and Europe were boycotting it economically and politically. “This doesn’t make sense,” said Abul Ragheb. “The government couldn’t convince a child with this story.” Hamas leaders, meanwhile, strongly deny the allegations, stressing that their enemy is Israel, not Jordan. Nevertheless, Amman immediately turned down a Hamas offer of reconciliation, while Hamas officials were declared persona non grata in the kingdom. Seven years ago, Jordanian authorities cracked down on Hamas, with security forces closing its offices and deporting three of its leaders to Qatar. The movement is still banned from public activity in Jordan, including humanitarian work.