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: I do wonder how much of the anti-government
: protest is coming from the Palestinians?
: They have always been a thorn in the side of
: the Hashemite regime ever since King Hussein
: was forced to fight a bloody civil war with
: the PLO back in 1970.
Clearly, the "East Bankers," Bedouins and so forth, have always been the most loyal supporters of the Hashemite monarchy, while the Palestinian majority understandably resents being on the wrong side of royal favor. The electoral system, as I understand it, is structured so as to keep the Palestinians underrepresented in parliament. The real problem, though, I suspect, is that Jordanians of all backgrounds are seeing democratic progress elsewhere in the Arab world and will not put up with an authoritarian monarchy, no matter how "enlightened," indefinitely. Surely it would be better for the King to work with leaders from across the political system to manage a transition toward genuine constitutionalism than waiting for an eruption?
:
: I hope we are not heading for a repeat of
: those terrible days!
:
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