The future of the West Bank and the escalating Israeli measures there dominated opinion columns in Jordanian newspapers on Sunday, with writers warning of the risks of annexation, settlement expansion and displacement, while focusing on the repercussions of developments in the West Bank and Jerusalem for Jordan and the future of the Palestinian cause.

Writer Maher Abu Tair, in an article titled “The West Bank: A Jordanian or Palestinian Question?”, examines the issue through the lens of its direct implications for Jordan’s national security. He asks whether the West Bank can still be treated solely as a Palestinian issue, given the potential consequences for Jordan.

Abu Tair argues that the West Bank has become directly linked to Jordan’s national security, its domestic demographic balance and the threat of displacement, particularly in a country that has already experienced successive waves of migration. He also points to Jordan’s role in safeguarding the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and the risks surrounding that role.

The writer calls for clear Palestinian answers on how the Palestinian Authority and other political factions intend to respond to developments in the West Bank. “We want Palestinian answers on the West Bank issue, particularly the Palestinian Authority’s vision for dealing with this crisis, so that the answers are not left to Jordan, which is the party most directly affected,” he writes.

Abu Tair also questions the Palestinian Authority’s ability to confront what he sees as an Israeli effort to weaken and ultimately dismantle it.

“What will the Palestinian Authority and all its institutions and agencies do in the face of a project aimed at dismantling the Authority, weakening it and eventually eliminating its existence altogether? Who will fill the vacuum?” he asks.

He raises broader questions about the future of the Oslo Accords and their relevance as Israel continues settlement expansion, arrests, demolitions and land confiscation in the West Bank.

Abu Tair argues that the absence of a unified Palestinian response, combined with the continuing political division and weakening of the Palestinian Authority, risks pushing the West Bank into an increasingly uncertain future.

He ultimately calls for a coordinated Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international response to what he describes as the seizure of Jerusalem and the West Bank, warning that failure to act could gradually shift the crisis from the “West Bank” to Jordan’s own territory.

Al-Dajjah: Israel Is Reshaping the West Bank

Writer Hassan Al-Dajjah focuses on developments on the ground, arguing that Israel’s actions in the West Bank go beyond isolated military operations and security measures and form part of a broader effort to reshape the territory geographically and politically.

In his article, Al-Dajjah describes the current period as “one of the most dangerous phases in decades”, citing intensified Israeli military operations, arrests and raids, accelerated settlement expansion and land seizures, alongside growing settler attacks on Palestinian villages and communities.

“These practices are no longer isolated security incidents,” he writes. “They appear to be part of an organized policy to reshape the geography of the West Bank, fragment it and undermine the possibility of establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state.”

Al-Dajjah highlights the range of pressures facing Palestinians, including military raids, killings and arrests, home demolitions, road closures, expanding checkpoints and restrictions on access to land and water.

He pays particular attention to settler violence, citing attacks on homes, the burning of vehicles and crops, the uprooting of trees, land seizures and the forced departure of rural and Bedouin communities.

For Al-Dajjah, the settlement project has evolved beyond the construction of new housing units.

“Settlement expansion is no longer simply about building new residential units,” he writes. “It has become an integrated project aimed at gradually imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.”

He argues that settlements, unauthorized outposts, bypass roads and the transfer of administrative and legal powers to Israeli institutions are collectively creating a reality of annexation without the need for a formal declaration.

He singles out the E1 area east of Jerusalem as one of the most critical components of this process, warning that developments there could sever the geographical connection between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank while further isolating East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.

Al-Dajjah also frames the West Bank as a direct Jordanian concern, arguing that it cannot be treated as a conventional foreign-policy issue because of its implications for Jordan’s national security and the future of the region.

He highlights Jordan’s rejection of annexation, displacement and settlement expansion, as well as its support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The article also points to Jordan’s diplomatic efforts, humanitarian assistance to Palestinians and efforts to preserve the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem. Al-Dajjah argues that keeping Palestinians on their land should remain a central priority in confronting attempts at annexation and displacement.

Al-Rawashdeh: Prevent the West Bank Crisis From Becoming a Jordanian Domestic Issue

Writer Hussein Al-Rawashdeh approaches the issue from a different angle, focusing primarily on how Jordan should respond to the potential consequences of developments in the West Bank.

In an article titled “Protecting Jordan and Palestine Requires Calm and Rational Thinking,” Al-Rawashdeh describes the current phase as difficult and crowded with risks and challenges. He calls for a serious public debate on what is happening, while warning against political point-scoring.

He argues that Israel’s efforts to eliminate the Palestinian cause have become increasingly clear, but believes Palestinians themselves must answer the question of what they intend to do, while Jordan must focus on protecting its own security and national interests.

Al-Rawashdeh’s central warning is against allowing the West Bank crisis to spill over into Jordan’s domestic political arena.

“There are those who, deliberately or otherwise, are trying to turn the West Bank issue, which appears to be on the verge of an explosion, into a Jordanian domestic issue, or into a ready-made trap,” he writes.

He argues that such a development could serve Israeli objectives and calls for the crisis to remain framed as a Palestinian issue in the face of the Israeli occupation, while Jordan prepares to protect its own national interests.

Al-Rawashdeh stresses that supporting the Palestinian cause does not mean compromising Jordan’s own security.

“Protecting Jordan is the responsibility of Jordanians, just as protecting Palestine is the responsibility of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims,” he writes, while noting Jordan’s longstanding role in supporting the Palestinian cause.

He identifies four possible scenarios in Israel’s approach toward Jordan.

The first is displacement, with Israel potentially seeking to push Palestinians toward Jordan through either forced or so-called voluntary displacement. Al-Rawashdeh argues that the annexation and fragmentation of the West Bank and the creation of increasingly unlivable conditions could contribute to such a scenario.

The second is the revival of ideas such as confederation, the Jordanian option or administrative annexation, which, he argues, could be intended to undermine the prospect of an independent Palestinian state and offer Palestinians an alternative political framework at Jordan’s expense.

The third scenario involves treating Jordan itself as a potential front or security threat, including proposals for a buffer zone, the annexation of the Jordan Valley or the construction of additional barriers, coupled with attempts to destabilize Jordan’s domestic front.

The fourth concerns Jordan’s Hashemite custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which Al-Rawashdeh warns could become another source of pressure on Amman.

The writer also outlines several political and legal tools that Jordan could consider, including the implications of the Wadi Araba peace treaty, Jordan’s legal relationship with the West Bank, the refugee and right-of-return file, international protection for the West Bank, and international recognition of Palestinian nationality for Palestinians living in Palestine.

He also proposes considering legal measures in response to any Israeli attempt to deport Palestinians holding Jordanian citizenship from the West Bank, alongside political, legal and security measures aimed at shielding Jordan from attempts to impose a settlement of the Palestinian issue at its expense.

Taken together, the three opinion pieces reflect growing concern in Jordan over the trajectory of events in the West Bank and their potential consequences for the kingdom.

While Abu Tair focuses on the need for a clear and proactive Palestinian response, Al-Dajjah views Israel’s actions as part of a broader project to reshape the West Bank and establish a de facto annexation regime. Al-Rawashdeh, meanwhile, concentrates on Jordan’s options and the risk that the consequences of the West Bank crisis could eventually be transferred to Jordan’s domestic arena.

Across the three articles, the West Bank emerges as a central issue in Jordanian public debate, connecting the future of the Palestinian cause with the risks of annexation and displacement, while raising fundamental questions about how Jordan should prepare for any major change in the political and geographical reality of the West Bank and Jerusalem.