Arab-Palestinian relations are experiencing a period of rises and falls, characterized by convergence with some Arab parties and estrangement from others. This dynamic was perhaps reflected toward the end of December between Jordan and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in what could be the first steps toward a rapprochement. Following the Dec. 18 Islamic State (IS) attack on Karak, which resulted in the deaths of five Jordanian security forces, the PA expressed solidarity with Jordan. Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh subsequently visited Ramallah Dec. 28 and met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It was Judeh's first visit since March 2016, though nothing had prevented him from visiting earlier.

A Palestinian official knowledgeable about Judeh’s talks with Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “Judeh’s visit was focused on several issues: handing Abbas an official invitation to attend the Arab summit in Amman late in March and discussing the increasing incursions by Israeli settlers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the consequences of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 against settlements on Dec. 23 and the international peace conference in Paris in mid-January. Also at the meeting, Abbas called on Jordan to host the Palestinian National Council [PNC] session.” The PNC is scheduled to meet in March, but Jordan has yet to announce whether it will host the session.

The possible Palestinian-Jordanian rapprochement comes at a time when relations between Ramallah and Cairo are lukewarm due to several disagreements, notably Egypt's support for Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah member and Abbas’ archrival; Egypt withdrawing the settlement resolution condemning Israeli settlements ​Dec. 22 at the UN Security Council; the Egyptian media’s campaign against Abbas in September; and Egypt’s rejection in July of a Palestinian request to hold an Arab summit to discuss the settlements.

Ahmed Youssef, a political adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, the former deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, told Al-Monitor, “Jordan wants Abbas' successor to be from the West Bank, so that Amman can have a certain amount of influence. This would not be possible if the successor were from the Gaza Strip. Jordan is the gateway for West Bank Palestinians to the outside world, which means that Jordan is as important to the PA as Egypt, and the Jordanian role has been seemingly increasing in the Palestinian arena by the day.”