How can Jordan respond to Israel’s escalation across the West Bank?

What the report says

Jordanian commentator and former interior minister Samir Habashneh argues in an Al Jazeera opinion piece published on 2 October 2026 that Israeli actions across the occupied West Bank are not isolated security steps but part of a wider push to reshape territory, expand settlements and deepen Israeli control. He says the pattern of land confiscation, movement restrictions, control over water and grazing areas, military operations and repeated displacement could weaken the prospect of a viable Palestinian state.

The article puts particular emphasis on the Jordan Valley, which Habashneh describes as strategically and economically important for both Palestinians and Jordan. He warns that reported plans for a new Israeli barrier, dubbed the “Crimson Thread,” could further isolate the area and, if carried through as described, increase Israeli control over a large share of it. In his view, any major change in the West Bank’s geography or population would have direct implications for Jordan because of proximity, history and security.

Habashneh says Jordan should respond proactively rather than only issuing diplomatic objections. He calls for stronger national unity inside Jordan, more coordinated pressure through Arab, Islamic and international diplomacy, and support for legal and economic measures against policies that entrench settlement expansion. He also proposes an Arab and Islamic fund to help Palestinians remain on their land through support for farming, water, housing, education, health and local services.

The piece matters because it frames developments in the West Bank as a regional security issue for Jordan as well as a Palestinian one, while arguing that preventing displacement will require sustained political and material backing rather than temporary crisis response.