Jordan-Hamas relations

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has always been a vulnerable state. To survive, it has successfully kept its many rivals off-balance. One of these rivals has been Hamas. The Palestine Liberation Organisation, which during the Oslo process transformed itself from an increasingly weak diaspora entity into a state-in-the-making, posed a growing threat to the Kingdom. Jordan initially cooperated with Hamas in the first decade of the latter’s existence as a counterweight to the growing threat posed by the Palestinian Authority. Once the internal Palestinian balance of power changed in Hamas’ favour, Jordan’s relationship with the organisation became increasingly hostile.