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Could Jordan-Palestine confederation be in the cards?

Palestinian and Jordanian officials are contemplating the idea of a Jordan-Palestine confederation, to be created after the establishment of a Palestinian state and with Israeli involvement.
Jordan's King Abdullah (R) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Royal Palace in Amman November 12, 2014. REUTERS/Majed Jaber (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS) - RTR4DV07

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.

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