Jordan (MNN) — Jordan’s foreign minister recently pushed the UN Security Council to hit Israel with a weapons embargo. Yet, two weeks ago, Jordan shot down several Iranian missiles headed toward Israel.
It’s the latest demonstration of the hot-and-cold relationship between Israel and Jordan.
The two nations have had a formal peace treaty since 1994. At times, they coordinate on security issues, and Jordan even depends on Israel for natural resources.
Boy walking on street in Jordan.
(Photo courtesy of Craig Boudreaux/Unsplash)
Samuel with Redemptive Stories explains, “A large portion of our drinking water in Jordan comes from Israel — so from desalination plants that are in the Mediterranean that pump water over to us for us to survive.”
Yet the Jordan-Israel relationship is also strained. The Jordanian government has often criticized Israel in the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah.
Additionally, Jordan has a large Palestinian refugee population. And with many Arab countries normalizing relations with Israel, “The Palestinians, in particular, as well as some other countries…wanted that to not occur, particularly Iran, in order to continue to keep the undertones of hatred towards Israel. But more and more Arab countries historically than ever before to this point are wanting to normalize relationships with Israel in order to bring about peace.”
Despite complex political relations, Samuel says the Lord is at work through the local Church in Jordan.
“Even in the midst of all this mess, God is again bringing Muslims in contact with Christians in a way that creates opportunities for them to care and love their neighbor.”
Samuel encourages, “Be praying that God would bring healing through this and healing in individual’s lives, but ultimately healing on a grander scale where the Prince of Peace would reign.”
Header photo courtesy of Yazan Obeidat/Unsplash.
