One can sense despair in the corridors of power in the Muqata government building in Ramallah. Palestinian officials tell Al-Monitor that there is more irritation with the Arab world than with Israel. They are frustrated that the Arab regimes focus on the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen at the expense of Palestinian statehood. They sense that they have lost some lobbying power vis-a-vis the United States and Europe, which are now concentrated primarily on the Iranian nuclear agreement.

Thus, Palestinians are looking for creative ideas to revive international interest in the resolution of the conflict while actively engaging Arab countries. One senior Palestinian official told Al-Monitor of a deus ex machina concept he had in mind that could salvage the Palestinian predicament. The official, who entertains good contacts within the Jordanian court, would like to rekindle the idea of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation, an issue he has apparently raised lately with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and with the entourage of the Jordanian king.

The characteristics of the confederation, according to the senior source, would be outlined in an agreement between two independent states — each headed by an independent executive, two capitals (one in Amman and one in East Jerusalem), two parliaments, a joint parliamentary institution dealing with confederative issues, a joint economic area of free trade, joint economic ventures (including enterprises in the Dead Sea region) and joint water and energy mechanisms. There would also be joint security and anti-terror measures and arrangements, mainly along the Jordan River.

The confederation, according to this source, would come about only after the establishment of the Palestinian state. Yet, an understanding in principle could be achieved prior to that, so as to give Jordan a central role in the negotiations on statehood. Jordanian involvement in the negotiation is considered by many of its officials as essential in several aspects.