The Atlantic magazine's March article by journalist Jeffrey Goldberg focused on Jordan’s strategic challenges. Based on an extensive interview with King Abdullah II, the article intended to tell the story of a reformist Arab monarch. But intentionally or not, it engendered a huge controversy in Amman. The portrait of Abdullah painted by Goldberg is one of a king despising the Jordanian tribal leaders, calling them "the old dinosaurs." The king described the Muslim Brotherhood as "a Masonic cult," adding that "there’s no depth to [Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi]."

Goldberg’s story was followed by an official statement of the Royal Palace claiming that the journalist had misinterpreted the king’s comments, although it did not contest the accuracy of the quotes. In the midst of the Syrian war, this public controversy brought to mind the brewing concerns in the West about Jordan’s destiny after the Arab Spring. Specifically, there are increasing worries in the US and Israel on the risks that the collapse of the Hashemite kingdom would constitute for Middle East stability.

Historically, the question of Jordan’s fragility is not a new phenomenon that suddenly emerged with the Arab Spring; it has always been inherent to the crafting of its state. Because of its small size, its shared borders with regional powers such as Israel, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and its massive dependence on external natural resources, Jordan’s fate depends on the stability of its neighborhood.

To be fair, King Abdullah II has been very active on the first front, the foreign policy domain. He leveraged wisely the legacy of his father King Hussein to maintain Jordan as a key player in the Middle East power plays. The kingdom is the only Arab country that has been able to maintain good relations with Israel as well as the monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council or even with Palestinian Hamas. Meanwhile, the United States remains a major partner: in 2010, receiving $818 million, Jordan was the largest per capita recipient of American aid after Israel. In addition, Jordan also remains one of the most active partners at the political and military levels for NATO's Mediterranean operation. Jordanian Armed Forces participate in various NATO initiatives, and they sent six fighter jets to the Mediterranean in April 2011 to participate in Operation Odyssey Dawn for enforcement of the no-fly zone over Libya.