The panic in Jordan has re-ignited tensions between Jordanians and Palestinians living in the kingdom. Some top Jordanian officials have been accused of making “racist” statements about Palestinians. One of them, retired general Riad Abu Karaki, called on his government to stop granting citizenship to children born to Jordanian women who are married to Palestinians. “Why aren’t the children of Jordanian mothers granted Palestinian citizenship of their fathers?” he asked. “The Palestinians have a recognized entity called the Palestinian National Authority.”
Kerry has managed to escalate tensions not only between Israel and the Palestinians, but also between Jordanians and the Palestinians inside Jordan. The growing tensions in Jordan pose a threat to stability in the kingdom and could easily undermine the only stable regime in the region. Kerry will now have to find a way to calm King Abdullah and his constituents before Jordan slips into civil war.