Israel Targets Jordan and Egypt

Dr. Dhib Al-Qaraleh

The Israeli mindset has mastered the art of manufacturing external threats—threats that serve to consolidate domestic support and generate global public sympathy, which Israel skillfully influences through powerful networks operating across the triad of science, economy, and media. All of this serves its ideological and political project aimed at dominating the Middle East politically, economically, militarily, and in terms of security.

Based on Israel’s long-standing strategy of perpetuating crises—resolving one here while creating another there—any observer of recent Israeli political positions, military movements, security measures, and media rhetoric can clearly discern a pattern of escalating Israeli provocation toward both Jordan and Egypt. This escalation intensified following Israel’s war against Iran, indicating that Tel Aviv is implementing a pre-programmed agenda according to a specific timetable aligned with regional developments.

Israeli targeting of Amman and Cairo has taken various forms and expressions, but all ultimately converge on a single objective: constructing a narrative of an emerging threat from these two neighboring Arab states—one that Israel must prepare to confront across all levels and domains.

In recent days, Israel’s negative posture toward Jordan has manifested in several incidents. It began with claims that Israeli police had intercepted weapons allegedly smuggled from Jordan into Israel, followed by a decision to deploy the Gilead (96th) Division along the Jordanian border and conduct a large-scale military exercise—the first of its kind—under the pretext of preparing for potential “Iranian threats” from the eastern front.

These hostile signals toward Jordan have not stopped there. They continue daily through efforts to undermine Jordan’s Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites and to weaken its historical role in safeguarding them.

Nor can one overlook Israel’s systematic measures aimed at annexing the West Bank and making life unbearable for its residents—paving the way for forced displacement toward Jordan, presented as the only available geographical destination. This comes despite Jordan’s repeated declarations that such actions would be treated as a declaration of war.

Israeli hostility toward Egypt is no less dangerous. It has taken multiple forms, all designed to construct the perception of an Egyptian threat to Israel—one that must be warned against and eventually confronted.

Anyone who follows Israeli media, research center reports, and official statements can clearly see the direct targeting of Egypt through efforts to shape domestic and international opinion about the alleged dangers of the Egyptian military’s growing strength, modernization, and activities in Sinai—casting doubt on Egypt’s intentions and strategic posture.

Notably, this Israeli escalation coincided with two developments that warrant careful examination: first, the postponement of a previously agreed-upon World Bank loan installment to Egypt for six months; and second, renewed threats issued by the terrorist-designated group Hasm, which had been inactive for years but suddenly announced its intention to resume operations inside Egypt.

The central question is: why does Israel target Jordan and Egypt despite having peace treaties with both? The logical answer is that Tel Aviv has not forgiven Amman and Cairo for successfully thwarting—through action, not merely rhetoric—the forced displacement plans aimed at Gaza’s population and later the West Bank, which sought to eliminate the Palestinian cause altogether.

Nor should it be ignored that both Israel and Washington remain deeply frustrated by the firm stance of Jordan and Egypt, which effectively derailed the ambitions of Trump and Netanyahu and blocked the launch of their broader project to reshape the Middle East beginning with Gaza—envisioning Israel as the dominant political, security, and economic power in the region.

Accordingly, no future surprises should be ruled out. We must prepare for worst-case scenarios—even if they do not materialize tomorrow—because the groundwork for them has long been underway in Tel Aviv. This calls for heightened vigilance, as Israel’s pursuit of its ultimate objectives relies on extraordinary efforts in deception, conspiracy, espionage, alliance-building, and strategic realignments.

In response, there must be increased official, elite, and public awareness of the serious plots being engineered, alongside strengthened Arab-Arab cooperation to confront these mounting challenges.