Durham E-Theses Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988 ABDUL-HADI, AHMAD,OMAR,BAHJAT How to cite: ABDUL-HADI, AHMAD,OMAR,BAHJAT (2016) Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11770/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Nationalism in the Middle East: The development of Jordanian national identity since the disengagement of 1988 Name: Ahmad Omar Bahjat Abdul-Hadi A Thesis submitted for a Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy At The school of Government and International Affairs Durham University 2016 1 2 Abstract This thesis attempts to explain the development of national identity in Jordan in the post-disengagement period since 1988. National identity in Jordan has come full circle with the announcement of the ‘Jordan First’ policy. The Jordan First policy was enunciated to put the interest of the country first over other influences that were perceived to be inimical to the development of a strong national identity. After the Second World War, Jordan was still unsure of its national identity and its place in the Middle East state system. The rise of nationalism as one of the chief ideological instruments in many cases in the region soon found traction in Jordan as well, and led the country’s authorities to apply nationalism to the development of the national identity. Nationalism has become one of the primary dynamics for the development of national identity in Jordan. Within the context provided, this thesis, thus, explains the evolution of nationalism in Jordan and its impact on identity politics in the post- disengagement period since 1988. 3 Acknowledgements: I offer my sincerest gratitude and thanks to Professor Ehteshami and Professor Emma Murphy for their patience, hard work and unstinting support. I want to thank Professor Clive Jones for his help and guidance during the review panel stages, Dr Christian Schweiger for his help in the early stages of the review. I want to thank Mr mamtimyn sunudoula for his help in finding resources in the library and helping me with general literature enquires. I want to thank my parents for their continuous support and them believing in me and my project. My Family members including my brothers who always supported me in difficult and challenging times. I must signal out my uncle who was always happy to give me his precious time and listen to the progress of my research work whenever I travel to Jordan. In the spring/summer 2013 a number of people helped me in my fieldwork research in Amman. These people are: Dr Hasan Momani Head of Politics Department University of Jordan, Dr Jawad Al Anani, former deputy Jordanian Prime Minister and foreign minister, His excellency Dr Marouf Al Bakheit Former Prime minister from November 2005 until November 2007 and from February 2011 to 17 October 2011. His Excellency Abdulsalam Al Majali former Prime Minister in the period 1993-1995 and also signed the peace Accord between Jordan and Israel in 1994. 4 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 3 Thesis Structure .............................................................................................................. 9 Introduction: Modern History of Jordan from the 1950s to the Disengagement of 1988 ................................................................................................................................ 11 I. The early years of King Hussein’s rule and the 1950s ........................................... 14 II Jordanian nationalism in the 1960s and the Six Day War, 1967. ........................... 30 (i) The Samu raid 1966 .......................................................................................... 31 (ii). The unification of the West Bank ................................................................... 33 (iii) The West Bank ............................................................................................... 39 (iv) Jerusalem ........................................................................................................ 42 (v) Jerusalem’s role in the 1967 war ..................................................................... 44 III Black September 1970 .......................................................................................... 46 (i) Events prior to September 1970 ....................................................................... 46 (ii) ‘Black September’ 1970 .................................................................................. 48 IV. Jordan in the 1980s (pre disengagement) ............................................................ 54 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 58 Chapter One: Nationalism and Ethnicity in Jordan ................................................. 60 I. Early theories of nationalism .................................................................................. 61 II. Modernist approaches to nationalism .................................................................... 68 III. Gellner’s structuralist theory ................................................................................ 71 IV. The Kohn Dichotomy .......................................................................................... 75 V. Gellner and nationalism ........................................................................................ 80 VI. Definition of Arab Nationalism ........................................................................... 85 VII. Prominent thinkers on Arab nationalism ............................................................ 86 VIII. A conceptual discussion of nationalism in Jordan ............................................ 88 IX. The ethnic factor in Middle Eastern politics ........................................................ 92 XI. Politics of ethnicity and the Middle Eastern state ................................................ 95 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 99 Literature review ...................................................................................................... 102 5 (i) From colonialism to Arab nationalism ........................................................... 102 (ii) Tribes and Bedouin ........................................................................................ 108 (iii) The military ..................................................................................................... 112 (iv) From Palestinians to Jordanians ......................................................................... 114 Methodological section ............................................................................................ 121 Chapter Two: Hashemite and Jordanian National Discourse since 1988 ............. 124 I. Hashemite discourse and tribes ............................................................................ 124 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 124 (i) Tribes and state formation in the Middle East ................................................ 126 (ii) Sub-societal divisions in the Middle East: tribal, ethnic or sectarian ............ 128 (iii) Tribes and the state in the Middle East ........................................................ 129 (iv) Who are the tribes of Jordan? ....................................................................... 130 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 136 2. The Army and the Hashemite discourse .............................................................. 138 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 138 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 146 3. The Palestinians and the Hashemite discourse .................................................... 147 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 147 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 154 4. Jordan First and the Hashemite discourse. ........................................................... 155 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 160 Chapter Three: